The Champions League has provided some incredible drama in recent seasons, making a case that it could be the most consistently exciting competition in sport at the moment.
Despite the joy that the Champions League has brought us with some amazing knockout ties in the last few years, there is a growing sense that a move towards a European Super League might signal the end of this competition in the not too distant future as the commercialization of football goes even further. One in the eye for tradition as the rich clubs get even richer.
But for now at least, we still have our beloved Champions League. After a long summer break, our midweek European football schedule has been restored with the glitziest clash taking place at Les Parc des Princes where PSG hosted Real Madrid. Even with the absences of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Sergio Ramos, there were plenty of superstars on show in the French capital.
Angel Di Maria reminded Man United fans of the player he could have been with a couple of well-taken goals.
DI MARÍA!
💥💥💥#PSGRMA #UCL #VMSport pic.twitter.com/Zol6y3WRKU— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) September 18, 2019
Gareth Bale threatened with some dangerous moments in the first-half, including a beautifully taken if disallowed goal. Eden Hazard failed to impose himself in his first Champions League outing for his new club, while James Rodriguez missed out on another opportunity to deliver on the big stage for the thirteen times European Champions.
It's no surprise that two of the mega-rich, elite European clubs can boast a depth of major stars, despite neither being at full strength at this early stage of the season.
In the end PSG ran out comfortable 3-0 winners. But before a ball had even been kicked, a largely bemused international TV audience noticed something slightly odd about what they were seeing on the pitch...The kits.
Why are PSG and Real Madrid wearing the wrong kit? Literally have swapped colours. Nothing bespeaks the contempt of the big brands for all that is sacred so obviously as this.
— Jonathan Wilson (@jonawils) September 18, 2019
That's a total mind fk!
PSG in White at home
V
Real Madrid in Dark Blue. pic.twitter.com/ERXMzzzG4b— Scottish Football Kits mk II 🏴 (@scottishkits2) September 18, 2019
I know this is a trivial thing but what is the logic of both Madrid and PSG wearing their away kits, so they can wear each other's home colours!
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) September 18, 2019
All black last season, all white this. Starting to wonder whether PSG are attempting to end their Champions League hoodoo by tricking their players into thinking that they are not actually playing for PSG.
— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) September 18, 2019
This confusion is caused by PSG's decision to register their Nike white strip as their home kit for this season's Champions League, thus forcing Los Blancos to don their away kit, which just so happens to look quite similar to PSG's traditional home kit.
There may be plenty of reasons to dislike both Real Madrid and PSG, but choosing to effectively swap kits when there was absolutely no need, is surely the final insult for the ordinary football fan.
They can spend all that money from our over-priced TV subscriptions to line obnoxiously wealthy football agents' pockets all they want, but momentarily confusing viewers into asking when Karim Benzema had signed for PSG is the final straw.
R.I.P. tradition. The game has finally gone.
