Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage from Qatar where European giants Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid clash in a friendly.

This may only be a friendly, but that doesn't mean that it won't be a superb afternoon of football. Some of the best footballers on the planet will be in action in Doha today, so it promises to be a cracker.

Both these sides are currently on their winter breaks from domestic action in Ligue 1 and La Liga respectively, but will look to use this game to prepare for when they return to competitive action.

There's also a nice little sub-plot to this meeting, as Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti faces his old club for the first time since leaving Paris in the summer after winning the Ligue 1 title.

The world's most-expensive player Gareth Bale should also be on show, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo go head-to-head yet again following their recent meeting during the playoffs of the World Cup qualifiers.

Before we get into more detail, let's take a look at the teams. Starting with the Ligue 1 champions and current leaders, Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG XI: Sirigu, Van der Wiel, Digne, Silva, Alex, Motta, Verratti, Matuidi, Cavani, Lavezzi, Ibrahimovic

Laurent Blanc has fielded his strongest available team for this match, with young left-back Lucas Digne perhaps the only minor surprise.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic starts in attack, with Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi either side of him.

Here is the bench.

PSG BENCH: Douchez, Malgnan, Diaw, Marquinhos, Camara, Menez, Maxwell, Rabiot, Jallet, Pastore, ucas, Alvin, Sebastien, Ongenga, Coman

So that's PSG, now for Real Madrid.

REAL MADRID XI: Diego Lopez, Ramos, Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa, Nacho, Jese, Morata, Illarra, Jose Rodriguez, Casado

So Carlo Ancelotti has opted for a below full strength starting lineup, although Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos are certainly going to prove a handful for the French champions.

A number of youngsters start for Madrid, including Alvaro Morata, who has been the subject of speculated interest from clubs like Arsenal during the transfer window.

Let's have a peek at their substitutes.

REAL MADRID BENCH: Jesus, Pepe, Benzema, Marcelo, Carvajal, Casemiro, Modric, Di Maria, Isco, Tomas Mejias, Llorente, Jaime

So plenty of options for Ancelotti on the bench, but there is one big-name absentee. Gareth Bale is not available today.

There should be around 50,000fans packing out the Khalifa International Stadium this afternoon, as these clubs continue their recent habits of heading out to the Middle East during the winter break. The lucrative mid-winter friendly has been a feature for several Spanish teams during December and January in recent years. Barcelona earned around £3.3m for playing a game in Kuwait back in December 2009 and this game forms part of the payment for coach Ancelotti who switched from PSG to Real Madrid in the summer. PSG are owned by Qatar Sports Investment Authority and included two Doha friendlies into the compensation package for Ancelotti.

The two teams are heading out onto the field in Doha. We're just moments away from kick off.

KICK OFF! PSG, playing from right to left, get the match underway.

PSG are in their home strip of all navy, with white and red squares on the shirt, while Madrid are wearing their all-white first kit.

There's a huge roar from the crowd as Ronaldo picks up the ball. He turns and runs to the edge of the box, but fires a shot over the bar.

PSG attack for the first time as Lavezzi links up with Cavani. The latter's return pass into the box was just cut out by Arbeloa. Corner.

CHANCE! It's curled in from the right by Motta, who nearly finds Ibrahimovic. He is under pressure from Alonso, but Ibrahimovic can still get a foot to the ball, but only to poke it wide for a goal kick.

There have been a few heavy challenges going in already, so it certainly hasn't taken long for the two sides to find their competitive edge.

A concern for PSG here as Motta is down on the turf after challenging Rodriguez. Blanc will do his nut if he loses one of his key players to injury here. Adrien Rabiot is warming up.

Motta is currently off the field as play resumes, but he hasn't been substituted yet.

PSG are perhaps slightly on top at the moment, but Madrid are very quick on the break. Motta is back on now for French outfit.

I mentioned a few minutes ago about the intensity of this match, and the challengers are still flying in at the moment. You wouldn't know that it's a friendly.

Cavani skins Casado on the right of the box by putting the ball through his legs before it bobbles up or him to strike. He makes connection, but should do better as he spurns it wide of the near post.

SAVE! Real look for the offside flag but they don't get it, as Cavani should put PSG ahead. Ibrahimovic floats a pass to Matuidi to the left of centre, and he brilliantly volleys a pass first time inside to Cavani. He brings it down and goes one-on-one with Diego Lopez, and the goalkeeper makes a brilliant save with his legs as he rushes off his line.

Now it's Madrid's turn to attack as Morata slides the ball past Sirigu and into the back of the net, but he is ruled offside.

It's slightly against the run of play, but Madrid area ahead. Illarramendi plays a wonderful through ball to Jese, who made a superb run. He takes a touch as he enters the box, and slides a lovely finish into the bottom corner.

Nearly an instant response from PSG, as Ibrahimovic heads a corner at the near post which Ramos is forced to scoop marginally over his own crossbar.

CLOSE! Now Digne nearly finds an equaliser as his low cross from the left of the box creeps just wide of the far post. It's end-to-end stuff here at the moment.

Lavezzi and Arbeloa chase a pass down the PSG left, with the former reaching it first just outside the box. But Diego Lopez was out quickly to slide in and make a stop.

CHANCE! Lavezzi should do better from the edge of the box as he volleys a shot over following Ibrahimovic's brilliant chest down.

It's absolutely hammering it down out there in Qatar, both sets of players are getting drenched.

CLOSE! Almost a glorious goal for PSG. A wonderfull move ends with Verratti sliding Matuidi into the box who, from an angle, tries to curl the ball into the top corner with the outside of his boot. He isn't too far away either.

Cavani has to stretch to get his head on a cross from Van der Wiel, but it's nodded over the bar.

Verratti weaves into the box before blasting the ball off the back of a defender. PSG well on top, but haven't been able to find an equaliser as of yet.

CLOSE! PSG can't get too much closer to drawing level. Matuidi intercepts a loose pass before passing to Ibrahimovic on the edge of the D. The Swede curls a lofted ball first time over the Madrid backline to Cavani on the right of the area. He meets it with an early volley, but it flies just wide of the far bottom corner. Cavani could have had three goals already.

We haven't seen too much of Ronaldo so far in this match, such is PSG's dominance. But it only takes a second for him to let him know he's there.

OFF THE POST! What was I saying? Ronaldo picks up the ball, drives forward before sliding in a wonderful central pass to Rodriguez. He slides to get his shot away, but it cannons back off the left post. So nearly a second for Madrid, which would have been extremely harsh on PSG.

CHANCE! Alonso gets caught in possession, and Lavezzi pass inside to Ibrahimovic. He allows the ball to roll across in front of him as he opens his body to side-foot it at goal. However, he hits it straight at Diego Lopez.

CHANCE! Jose Rodriguez is very keen to get in on the act, as he gets the ball down on the edge of the box and hits a fierce curler just over the bar. He has impressed so far.

How we have had just one goal in this half is crazy.

We have just one added minute.

What a very entertaining first half that was, and you really can't tell that this is a friendly. PSG have been the better team, but it's Madrid who lead thanks to Jese.

Both sides have had a heap of chances to add to the goal count, but we have had just the one heading into the break.

I imagine there will be a whole bunch of changes in this second half.

Karim Benzema and Lucas are among those who have come on at the break. FUll news on the changes shortly.

Marcelo, Benzema, Casemiro, Pepe, Carvajal and Jaime Romero have come on at half time.

KICK OFF! Real Madrid get the second half up and running.

CHANCE! First opportunity of the half falls to PSG as Maxwell dinks a cross from the left to Ibrahimovic, but the striker heads wide.

It looks as if Madrid have changed their entire outfield lineup. PSG have made a couple of changes, but it's going to be hard to document them all while the action is on.

OFF THE BAR! So close to being 2-0 here after a stunning bit of work from Benzema. He is found in the box by a cross from the left that comes at his midriff. He takes it on the chest and juggles it before smashing a shot against the top of the bar.

Modric breaks down the right and puts in a very inviting low cross to the edge of the six-yard box, but Sirigu can smother it.

PSG have been awarded a free kick about 35 yards out to the left of centre. Ibrahimovic is over this.

Ibrahimovic takes and gets the right amount of power on it, but can't get it on target. It wasn't too far away though.

MISS! PSG are wasteful again, and this time it's Motta. The corner comes in from the left, and Motta is unmarked at the near post. He should score, but Motta instead heads it over the bar.

Right, while we have a break in play, I'll list the players who came on at the break.

PSG brought on Marquinhos, Maxwell and Lucas for Alex, Digne and Lavezzi. Meanwhile, Madrid introduced Fernandez, Casemiro, Pepe, Marcelo, Modric, Benzema, Di Maria and Isco.

PSG CHANGES: The French side have just made a few more alterations. Javier Pastore and Adrien Rabiot have come on in the places of Edinson Cavani and Marco Verratti. Jeremy Menez looked first in line to play, but has just been told to stay off.

PSG CHANGE: Now Menez is allowed on, with Motta heading off.

Di Maria has a chance from 25 yards, but scuffs his shot along the floor and watches it roll comfortably into the arms of Sirigu.

Menez fizzes a low cross from the left of the penalty across the face of the six-yard box, but Marcelo can somehow put it over his own crossbar.

CHANCE! From the resulting corner Thiago Silva is picked out on the penalty spot, and he tries to get his half-volley away, but it is slammed off the back of a defender. How PSG aren't level is beyond me.

We've had less chances in this half, but that is mainly a testament to the first period.

PSG CHANGES: Zlatan Ibrahimovic makes way, as does Van der Wiel. Coman and Camara head on.

PSG seem to be finding it hard to break down Real Madrid at the moment. Madrid slightly edging it at the moment, and a second goal for them would really punish PSG for their poor finishing in the first half.

CLOSE! Another attempt on goal from PSG but they fail to find the target once more. Coman beats his man on the left before curling a cross to Rabiot in the box, but his head loops over.

CLOSE! That would have been some equaliser from Menez. He has his back to goal on the left of the box, before pulling off a little jink to open up some space for him in the corner. He then wraps his right foot around the ball and sends a fierce shot just over the far top corner.

Madrid are now flirting with the prospect of a second goal as they hover around PSG's box. The Ligue 1 champions are holding out at the moment.

CLOSE! Another chance at the near post from a corner by PSG. This time it is the little winger Lucas who nods over.

While they have played well today, I'm sure Laurent Blanc will be furious with his side's finishing today. On the contrary, Carlo Ancelotti's youngsters have impressed this afternoon.

There will be three minutes of added time.

CHANCE! Lucas cuts in from the right with a nice bit of skill before firing wide of the near post.

Well that's it. PSG prove too wasteful, and Real Madrid win 1-0 thanks to a Jese goal.

That brings our coverage of this match to an end, but stick with Sports Mole this evening for plenty more sporting action.