Paris Saint-Germain withstood early strain from a much-improved however wasteful Barcelona aspect to attract 1-1 on Wednesday and attain the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
PSG lead 4-1 from the primary leg of their round-of-16 recreation and moved 4 targets clear when Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat trick at Camp Nou, netted with a assured penalty within the thirty first minute.
That aim was firmly in opposition to the run of play and, after Barca had squandered possession and probabilities, Messi equalized within the thirty seventh with a strong shot from 25 meters that tore into the highest left nook.
But the six-time Golden Ball winner then had a penalty saved by goalkeeper Keylor Navas on the stroke of halftime, his first miss from the spot within the Champions League since 2015.
It is the primary time since 2005 that neither Messi nor his nice rival Cristiano Ronaldo have reached the final eight of the competitors, following Juventus’ exit on Tuesday.
Barcelona dominated the primary half and simply may have been forward on the break — and threatening an unlikely comeback — if not for some very wasteful play from winger Ousmane Dembele when it comes to each sloppy passing and poor ending.
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, left, celebrates after scoring his aspect’s opening aim with Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann through the Champions League, spherical of 16, second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona on the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
“We’ve made a good impression here after a terrific performance,” Barcelona ahead Antoine Griezmann mentioned. “We had lots of chances, we just didn’t take them.”
Barca saved probing within the second half, and Messi had an opportunity from shut vary within the 61st however hesitated a split-second earlier than capturing and allowed defender Marquinhos to dam his shot with the aim gaping.
“It was a difficult match, Barca played a great game,” Navas mentioned. “They forced us to give everything we had.”
At the identical stage of the competitors 4 years in the past, Barcelona misplaced 4-0 in Paris solely to win 6-1 at Camp Nou in one of many best comebacks in Champions League historical past.
Neymar and Messi tormented PSG that night time, however there was to be no reply this time.
Barca’s coach Ronald Koeman made three substitutions for the closing phases, however the guests’ hopes steadily fizzled out as a chilly wind whipped round Parc des Princes.
Koeman chosen Frenkie de Jong as a makeshift middle half, however many of the motion was on the different finish as Barca made a vivid begin.
Dembele had a low shot saved after which wasted an important likelihood to pick the unmarked Messi moments later, capturing over as an alternative.
Highlights:
Messi performed a move behind PSG’s protection and Dembele burst by means of, forcing Navas right into a advantageous one-handed save with a low shot. Navas then tipped Sergino Dest’s drive onto the crossbar as Barcelona opened PSG up with its passing and motion.
But Dembele overhit a easy move that might have given Messi an open aim halfway by means of the half and Barcelona quickly paid the worth. PSG took the lead after a video evaluate dominated that defender Clement Lenglet clipped striker Mauro Icardi. Mbappe despatched his spot kick to goalie Marc Andre ter Stegen’s proper.
Barca got here straight again and Dembele was erratic once more, hitting a low shot straight at Navas after Griezmann’s very good angled move gave him house contained in the left of the penalty space.
Messi then took issues into this personal fingers, smashing an unstoppable shot previous Navas with ferocious energy. The goalkeeper did higher when he saved along with his legs from Sergio Busquets as Barcelona poured ahead.
Incessant strain led to a penalty for Barcelona, once more following a VAR verify, when Kurzawa was adjudged to have impeded Griezmann.
Messi appeared hesitant and went for energy in opposition to Navas, his former rival at Real Madrid, who kicked the ball onto the crossbar with an outstretched leg.
“It’s always tough to stop a penalty, especially from Messi who hits them very well,” Navas mentioned. “I’m very pleased, it gave everyone a lot of energy.”
With that miss, a number of the perception appeared to sap from Barcelona and the second half was extra even.
Mbappe had the final likelihood for PSG, however blazed his shot approach over within the ninetieth with Icardi ready for a move.
Liverpool beat Leipzig to succeed in Champions League quarters
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, left, celebrates after scoring his aspect’s opening aim through the Champions League spherical of 16 second leg match between Liverpool and RB Leipzig on the Puskas Arena stadium in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Laszlo Balogh)
With its Premier League title protection in tatters, Liverpool saved its final likelihood of a trophy alive by beating Leipzig 2-0 Wednesday to succeed in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané scored Liverpool’s targets to finish a 4-0 win on combination. Liverpool ended its run of six defeats in house video games, at the very least technically, as Jürgen Klopp’s group was formally the host on the impartial Puskas Arena in Hungary.
Klopp mentioned Liverpool succeeded by forgetting concerning the collapse of its marketing campaign in England, the place the group is 25 factors off the league lead.
“We had to switch off the Premier League stuff to get here and give it a proper try. The boys really enjoyed themselves tonight which is important,” Klopp instructed broadcaster BT Sport.
A string of saves by goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi — as soon as a Liverpool participant — saved Leipzig in competition earlier than Salah made the breakthrough within the seventieth minute. Salah lined up a low shot tucked inside the proper submit after Diogo Jota confirmed good motion on the counter to create house for Salah earlier than passing to the Egypt ahead.
As Leipzig — which surprisingly reached the semifinals final season — tried to discover a approach again into the sport 4 minutes later, substitute Divock Origi discovered house on the proper flank to cross low for Mané to faucet in.
The closest Leipzig got here to scoring was when Alexander Sorloth headed in opposition to the crossbar within the 67th, earlier than Liverpool responded with two targets to finish the German group’s probabilities.
Just as within the first leg, Liverpool was gifted probabilities by defensive blunders. Leipzig has the fewest targets conceded of any group within the Bundesliga however couldn’t reproduce that type in Europe this season, conceding 16 instances in eight video games.
Highlights:
“The best thing the boys did is nobody could really see how good Leipzig can be,” Klopp mentioned. “We defended them really well because they are a monster usually. They’re so powerful and can run in behind, but we defended that really well.”
An extended ball from Thiago Alcantara discovered Salah free behind the Leipzig protection within the twenty fourth earlier than Gulacsi parried away the Egyptian’s shot and Mané headed the rebound into the bottom. Not lengthy after, Diogo Jota beat Nordi Mukiele and located the Leipzig again line open in entrance of him earlier than Gulacsi once more saved.
At the opposite finish, Alisson Becker stopped an early Leipzig assault, pushing away a shot from Dani Olmo within the tenth when Leipzig exploited Liverpool’s excessive defensive position to counter. Injury-hit Liverpool’s newest makeshift center-back pairing of Ozan Kabak and Nathaniel Phillips largely held agency, although Emil Forsberg went shut when he beat Phillips dragged a shot large of the submit late within the first half.
“We didn’t reach our best level of achievement today and so we don’t deserve to progress, however tough that may feel,” Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann instructed Sky Sport in Germany.
Both legs had been performed in Budapest due to restrictions in Germany on journey from Britain amid the pandemic. Liverpool was barred from coming into Germany for the primary leg, and Leipzig would have needed to put its gamers in quarantine after coming back from Britain if Liverpool had hosted at Anfield.
The Hungarian capital can be internet hosting each of Manchester City’s last-16 matches in opposition to German membership Borussia Mönchengladbach.
