Burkina Faso
Chinese Taipei
Nigeria

PSG2 - 3Barcelona

sportsmole.co.uk, 10 April 2024, 20:54
Raphinha scored a goal either side of half time to help Barcelona claim a 3-2 victory away against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night.

The Brazilian winger netted his first Champions League goal on the 37th-minute mark to give the visitors a half-time lead at the Parc des Princes, but PSG quickly turned the game on its head with two strikes in the first five minutes of the second half from ex-Barca man Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha.

However, Raphinha restored parity for the Catalan giants with a superb volley midway through the second half before substitute Andreas Christensen scored 13 minutes from time, just seconds after coming off the bench, to give Xavi's side a slender advantage heading into next week's second leg in Spain.

Neither Christensen or Sergi Roberto will be available for next Tuesday's encounter with PSG, though, as both players will serve a one-match ban due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Luis Enrique's men made a bright start to the contest, with Kylian Mbappe - who has a surprisingly quiet night - and Marco Asensio both striking at goal in the opening 10 minutes, but Barca gradually grew into the game and took control of proceedings.

Nuno Mendes spared Gianluigi Donnarumma's blushes with an instinctive goalline clearance with his weaker right foot after the PSG goalkeeper failed to collect the ball from a corner after being beaten in the air by the towering Robert Lewandowski.

Donnarumma then made a brilliant one-handed save low down to his left to tip a powerful 25-yard strike from Raphinha around the post, but the Italian did not cover himself in glory eight minutes before the break.

Lewandowski, and standout performer for Barca in the first half, began a counter-attack and played through Lamine Yamal on the right flank, before the 16-year-old looked to return the favour by playing a teasing outside-of-the-boot pass towards his Polish teammate running into the box.

Donnarumma sprinted off his line to intercept, but he could only tip the ball straight into the path of Raphinha, who initially slipped before composing himself to slot a first-time right-footed shot high into the net.

PSG ended the first 45 second best, but Enrique's half-time team talk certainly did the trick and they miraculously turned the game on its head within the first five minutes of the second half.

The hosts exploded out of the blocks and restored parity on the 48-minute mark when Dembele pounced on a loose clearance inside the box from Ronald Araujo and dropped of the shoulder to fool Frenkie de Jong before unleashing a powerful left-footed shot that flashed beyond a hapless Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Just two minutes later, PSG were ahead following a well-worked passing sequence that resulted in Fabian Ruiz playing a perfectly-weighted through-ball down the right for Vitinha, who poked a first-time finish under the outstretched arm of Ter Stegan and into the bottom corner.

Barca were left stunned and they had their backs against the wall as PSG searched for a third; Bradley Barcola - who replaced Asensio at half time - came close to increasing the hosts' lead just before he hour mark, but his shot from a tight angle was saved onto the crossbar by Ter Stegen.

Xavi brought on both Joao Felix and Pedri for the final half-hour in search of a much-needed spark in the final third, and the latter made an instant impact as he set up Raphinha for his second goal of the night, and eighth of the season, to level the scores.

Just a minute after entering the field of play, Pedri received the ball in a central position from around 35 yards out and he floated a delightful ball over the top of PSG's backline towards Raphinha, whose exquisitely controlled left-footed volley with the outside of his boot flew past Donnarumma and into the bottom corner.

In search of a hat-trick, Raphinha then bent a 25-yard free kick around a PSG wall, but it was denied by Donnarumma low down to his right, before Dembele at the other end opened up his body and placed a right-footed shot against the outside of the post after receiving a brilliant pass on the left from Vitinha.

With 15 minutes remaining Xavi made another double substitute, calling upon both Ferran Torres and Christensen, and although the latter was not brought on in an attacking sense, the defender found himself in the right place at the right time to put Barca in front just seconds after his introduction.

Ilkay Gundogan's dangerous inswinging corner was met by Christensen from around six yards out, and with his first touch placed a cushioned header into the centre of the goal out of Donnarumma's reach.

PSG pushed for a late leveller in the closing stages, but Barca restricted to the hosts to minimal clear-cut chances and held on for a deserved victory in Paris.

Enrique's men are not in domestic action this weekend, so they will shift all their attention to next Tuesday's second leg in Spain, while Barca travel to Cadiz for a La Liga fixture on Saturday.

Top News

4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 home win over Bournemouth to boost their hopes of claiming their first Premier League title in 20 years. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ipswich Town have recorded a 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town to seal promotion to the Premier League. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk After leapfrogging their London rivals in the Premier League table on Thursday evening, Chelsea host fellow European outsiders West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will attempt to reach a notable milestone in Sunday's Premier League home clash with Tottenham Hotspur. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly confident that Son Heung-min will sign a new deal at the club. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona head coach Xavi is reportedly pushing for his club to sign Manchester City attacker Bernardo Silva during this summer's transfer window. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United and Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Lazio goalkeeper Christos Mandas. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison is reportedly one of the players who could be sold as part of Ange Postecoglou's summer clearout. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides at opposite ends of the Turkish Super Lig table clash on Monday evening as Konyaspor host Fenerbahce at the Torku Arena. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea and West Ham United will be looking to strengthen their bid to qualify for Europe when they square off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Still in the running for European football next season, deposed Serie A champions Napoli meet relegation-threatened Udinese on Monday evening. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Still in the hunt for two trophies this season, Atalanta BC will aim to keep the pressure on Serie A's top five when they visit relegated Salernitana on Monday. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have reportedly identified Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey as a potential signing during this summer's transfer window. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min - like many of his teammates - was found wanting in Spurs' 2-0 Premier League loss to London rivals Chelsea in midweek, where the Lilywhites' fleeting Champions League chances suffered another crushing blow. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Marcus Rashford will reportedly hold showdown talks with the Manchester United hierarchy in a bid to address his struggles during the 2023-24 campaign. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England boss Gareth Southgate is reportedly not considering including Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho in his squad for this summer's European Championship. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk All transfer business is done and dusted for this season, but that doesn't stop clubs from preparing ahead for next season. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Atlanta vs. Minnesota Utd (Sunday, 12.30am) Two sides currently in contrasting form go head to head in the MLS as Atlanta United play host to Minnesota United at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides separated by just one point in the Primeira Liga standings go head to head on Sunday as SC Farense play host to Estoril Praia at the Estadio de Sao Luis. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Sociedad vs. Las Palmas (Saturday, 1.00pm) Real Sociedad will be bidding to bounce back from their defeat against Real Madrid when they continue their La Liga campaign at home to Las Palmas on Saturday afternoon. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Monza vs. Lazio (Saturday, 5.00pm) Still vying for a place in Europe thanks to their recent revival, Lazio visit mid-table Monza on Saturday evening. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Dortmund vs. Augsburg (Saturday, 2.30pm) Three days on from their Champions League semi-final first-leg victory in midweek, Borussia Dortmund return to Westfalenstadion to welcome Augsburg for a Bundesliga clash on Saturday afternoon. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Le Havre vs. Strasbourg (Saturday, 2.00pm) Le Havre face Strasbourg at the Stade Oceane on Saturday afternoon in Ligue 1, a game between two sides who are battling against relegation with just three fixtures remaining in the season. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Celtic vs. Hearts (Saturday, 3.00pm) Celtic play host to Hearts on Saturday afternoon looking for the win that will move them a step closer to defending their Scottish Premiership title. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal vs. Bournemouth (Saturday, 12.30pm) Bidding to temporarily go four points clear at the top of the Premier League standings, Arsenal kick off Saturday's action with the visit of Bournemouth to the Emirates Stadium for the lunchtime kickoff. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Braga will be looking to bounce back from last week's loss at Benfica when they play host to Casa Pia at the Estadio Braga Municipal in round 32 of the Primera Liga on Sunday. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Lille host Lyon on Monday at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, knowing that a single point would be enough to officially claim a spot in the Europa League next season at the very least. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Table-toppers Galatasaray will look to maintain their lead in the Turkish Super Lig title race when they host Sivasspor on Sunday evening at Rams Park. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim has refused to rule out the suggestion that he has held talks over succeeding Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea boss. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly placed Newcastle United's Alexander Isak at the top of their list of forward targets for the summer transfer window.