French giants Paris Saint-Germain stunned Spanish side Barcelona with a 4-0 defeat in their UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 first leg tie on Tuesday night.
Two goals by Angel di Maria and one each by Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani put Barca in danger of failing to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in a decade.
PSG dominated throughout the match and took the lead through Di Maria’s curled free-kick in the 18th minute. Draxler added a second with an angled drive, before Di Maria curled an effort into the top corner to make it three. talktruenaija.blogspot.comCavani then sealed the win for the home team with a powerful fourth.
A lacklustre Barcelona – with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar largely anonymous – did not produce an effort of note as the defeat leaves Luis Enrique’s side with a hard task to stay in the competition when they host PSG in the return leg on March 8.
In the other fixture of Tuesday between Benfica Lisbon and Borussia Dortmund, the current leaders of the Portuguese League grabbed a 1-0 lead over the Bundesliga side as both sides will be set to lock horns in the return leg.
Kostas Mitroglou scored the only goal in the 48th minute of the game when he scrambled in Luisao’s header to put Benfica at advantage.
Superstar Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did hit a penalty straight at keeper Ederson after Ljubomir Fejsa handled, as the visitors further failed to get back into the game.
Dortmund, who were the top scorer in the group stage of the championship, couldn’t find a way through Benfica’s defence, but will hope to maximize their chances when the host the second leg on 8 March, in order to clinch a place in the quarter-finals.
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