Wednesday’s fixtures of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 were, as expected, loaded with spectacle and displays of world-class football as top European clubs locked horns in the continent’s prestigious tournament.
News.ng reports that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the defending champions, showed class by beating Chelsea 5–2 at the Parc des Princes stadium.
After the opening goal in the 10th minute, courtesy of Bradley Barcola to put PSG ahead, it paved the way for more goals. Despite Chelsea’s improved performance, the defending champions did not relent on their one-goal advantage, scoring four additional goals to seal their victory.
Although Chelsea found the leveller in the 20th minute, Luis Enrique’s boys were just too hot for the Blues to handle as Ousmane Dembele found the back of the net before half-time.
The duo of Vitinha, who scored in the 74th minute, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who scored in the 86th and 90+4 minutes, left a devastating memory for Chelsea, who got a consolation goal in the 57th minute courtesy of Enzo Fernandez.
The return leg next Tuesday will be a herculean task for Liam Rosenior, who admitted shortly after the match that PSG were indeed the better side.
He said: “They’re European champions. That’s why I’m so disappointed because our performance up to the third goal was very good, but it can’t be spoken about now because of the result.”
Elsewhere, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, despite their star-studded line-up, were humiliated by Real Madrid with three goals to nothing at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
The three goals were masterfully delivered by midfielder Federico Valverde, all in the first half — in the 20th, 27th, and 42nd minutes — leaving City frustrated throughout the second half despite five shots on target.
Next Tuesday promises to be another round of world-class football as City will try to overturn the three-goal deficit.
