Rio Ferdinand tells PSG to follow CR7 example to end Champions League struggles

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes Paris Saint-Germain should follow Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid blueprint to end their Champions League struggles.

Despite adding to their first-leg advantage in the first-half of their second leg with Real Madrid on Wednesday night, the Spanish side staged a dramatic fightback as Karim Benzema fired in a second-half hat-trick. It mounts the pressure on PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino as he failed to win the European title despite having the talents of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar in his arsenal.

Ronaldo helped Los Blancos to four Champions League triumphs during his trophy-laden spell in the Spanish capital. And Ferdinand believes the Parisians should follow a similar model to Madrid if they're to win their first Champions League crown.

“You look at Real Madrid when Cristiano was there, one player who was a passenger, he's the guy that can stay up the pitch sometimes not track back," Ferdinand told BT Sport. "The man who scored the hat-trick [Benzema] was someone who put the miles in.

"There's got to be an element of players sacrificing elements of their game for the better of the team. Karim Benzema — who is vying to be the best number nine in the world with Lewandowski, for years and years and years — he got four Champions League medals by looking at his own game and saying 'I'm going to put all my own personal goals and aims personally to one side for the better of the team and make sure Cristiano Ronaldo has the platform to work and does a little bit of his running.' Now at I don't believe the front three at PSG would do that.

PSG currently sit 13 points clear in Ligue 1, set to reclaim the French title, but Pochettino remains under pressure amid interest from United in making him their next long-term manager.