Sergio Ramos believes eliminating Bayern Munich from the Champions League would send out a huge message to Paris Saint-Germain's rivals for European glory.
PSG are still waiting for their first European crown, with last season's capitulation against Real Madrid in the round of 16 the latest in a series of continental humiliations for the French giants.
Bayern thwarted PSG's best run in the competition when they emerged with a 1-0 win in the 2020 final, though the Ligue 1 side avenged that defeat by winning a quarter-final tie the following campaign.
Indeed, among teams to have faced Bayern at least 10 times in the Champions League, PSG have the highest win percentage against them after six victories in 11 meetings (55 per cent).
Ramos believes another victory in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday would serve as a signal of their intent.
"When I think about Bayern, I think about the day I scored against them [for Madrid in a 2014 semi-final]," he told UEFA.com. "Of course, we know they're one of the best teams we could come up against, a huge challenge.
"But getting past them would be a very positive message to send out to the world. To win the Champions League, you have to win against the best and Bayern are among those every year."
Ramos won the Champions League four times during his distinguished spell with Madrid, and he hopes his European experience can help Christophe Galtier's star-studded team get over the line this term.
"Marriages are always based on a dream, and in a perfect partnership everything will go great," he said. "Football doesn't always work out. The best teams don't always win.
"But what I can say is that I'm where I want to be and at a club with so much hunger to win the Champions League. I want to make the most of what remains of my playing career."
Ramos' second season in Paris has been much more successful than his first, with the Spaniard making 27 starts this term after only managing nine during an injury-hit 2021-22 campaign.
Recalling his arrival in France, Ramos said: "At first, having taken that leap, everything went wrong. I got injured, had a hard time recovering and adapting to the new system, to the new team and new coach.
"You begin to doubt whether or not you've done the right thing, but my career has been defined by consistency, perseverance and hard work. You keep fighting and it will give things more meaning in the future.
"Leaving Real Madrid was obviously a very big change. My goal is always to continue winning. I won a lot with Real Madrid, but I thought this was a good opportunity for a change of scenery, to try to help a team like PSG."
Serie A side Genoa confirm sacking of head coach Gilardino
Serie A side Genoa have confirmed the departure of their head coach Alberto Gilardino, with Patrick Vieira reportedly on his way in.
Gilardino, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, leaves the club with them sitting just one point above the relegation size with 10 points from 12 matches this season.
A former striker who played for clubs including Genoa, Parma, AC Milan and Fiorentina, Gilardino took charge of Genoa in 2022 and helped them earn promotion to the top division before a 11th-place finish during the 2023-24 season.
"The club thanks Gilardino for the goals achieved together over the years and wishes him the best for his career," Genoa said in a statement.
The 42-year-old saw his side salvage a late 1-1 draw against Cesc Fabregas' Como in their last match before the international break.
Genoa were also knocked out of the Coppa Italia in the second round following a defeat to Sampdoria on penalties in September.
Arsenal legend Vieira is set to replace him, according to multiple reports.
The former France midfielder has been out of work since leaving Strasbourg by mutual consent in July.
Doncic backs Mbappe to turn fortunes around at Real Madrid
NBA superstar Luka Doncic has backed Kylian Mbappe to "figure it out" after his underwhelming start to life at Real Madrid.
Mbappe has scored eight goals in 16 games for Madrid in all competitions since joining as a free agent following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.
He has gone four matches without a goal – a run that includes losses to Barcelona and Milan – and has been left out of France's latest squad.
However, Dallas Mavericks guard Doncic – a Real Madrid supporter due to his previous ties with the sports club – can see Mbappe turning things around.
"Obviously [their season] could be better," Doncic told Managing Madrid after the Mavericks' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
"But when you get a guy like Mbappe, it takes some time to get used to it. We'll figure it out."
Mbappe has scored six goals in 11 LaLiga appearances for Madrid but has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04.
The forward is averaging a goal every 166 minutes in all competitions this term, compared to one every 88 minutes for PSG in his last of seven seasons in Paris.
Madrid thrashed Osasuna 4-0 last time out in the league to return to winning ways but still trail leaders Barcelona by six points.
Asked about his connections with Madrid, former Los Blancos basketball player Doncic said: "I follow Real Madrid every time.
"I grew up there. They taught me everything, so it's a part of my life. You can call it a secondary home.
"I learned a lot of stuff there and, especially, they gave me a way to be here right now [in Dallas]. I always appreciate that 100%."
Madrid return to action after the international break with a trip to Leganes on Sunday.
Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona: Guijarro brace sets visitors up for Clasico glory
Patri Guijarro's first-half brace set Barcelona on their way to a thumping 4-0 win over rivals Real Madrid in Liga F on Saturday.
Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas were also on target as Barcelona continued their perfect start to the season, extending their lead at the top of the table.
The visitors dominated from the off, as Guijarro broke the deadlock inside the fourth minute, tapping in from Putellas' flick-on from a corner.
Cata Coll was forced into a big save to deny Alba Redondo an equaliser shortly after, but Madrid's hope was soon dented as Guijarro picked out the bottom corner with a superb long-range strike for her second.
Pina strengthened their lead six minutes before the break, clinically slotting past Misa with her low strike.
Putellas added some more gloss to the scoreline with four minutes remaining of normal time, beating the Madrid keeper with a lovely dink to bring up her 199th goal for the club.
Barcelona have won all 10 of their games, and now sit eight points clear of Madrid, who suffered their first league defeat of the campaign.
Data Debrief: Total dominance
Madrid will have felt fairly confident coming into this game after a strong start to their season, but they once again failed to find a way past their Clasico rival.
Los Blancos have lost every single game they have played against Barcelona in all competitions, with this their 15th such meeting.
Barcelona smothered their attack early on, restricting their hosts to just one shot in the first half, while they had 10.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
