Real goal celebrations took place in Paris during the Champions League round of 16. PSG hosted Chelsea at their home ground and secured a 5-2 victory in a spectacular and intense match. The hosts raised the tempo from the first minute, the Londoners tried to respond, but in the end, the last word of the evening was still for the Parisians.
The score was opened in the 10th minute - Barcola opened the opponent's defense, putting PSG ahead. Chelsea didn't give up quickly: Gusto leveled the score in the 28th minute, saving the game. However, before halftime, Dembélé took another shot - in the 40th minute, he scored, putting the Parisians back in the lead.
The game didn't stop in the second half either. In the 57th minute, Enzo Fernandez scored, seemingly equalizing again. But then on the field, PSG's level of "closing the game" and attacking danger became noticeable. Vitinha scored in the 74th minute, giving the hosts another lead. After that, the Parisian club kept the opponent under full pressure.
The brightest hero of the evening was Khvicha, who came off the bench. The Georgian winger, who entered the field in the 69th minute, took full control of the game in the final minutes: he scored his first goal in the 86th minute and scored a brace for the second time in the 90+4th minute. Thus, PSG "enlarged" the score to 5:2, gaining a very advantage before the second leg.
The teams will now play their second leg in London on March 18th. The task for Chelsea is very difficult: they need to eliminate a big gap at home, avoid conceding another goal, and revive the game. PSG, meanwhile, will return to Paris with a relatively calm result, but they also know that the final point in the playoffs will only be put after the second game.
UCL. Round of 16
PSG - Chelsea 5:2
Goals: Barcola 10, Dembélé 40, Vitinha 74, Khvicha 86, 90+4 - Gusto 28, Fernandes 57.
PSG: Safonov, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes, Zair-Emery (Hernandez, 78), Vitinha, Neves, Doué (Hvicha, 69), Dembele (Lee Kang-in, 69), Barcola (Mayulu, 78).
Chelsea: Jørgensen, Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella, James, Caicedo, Palmer, Enzo Fernández, Neto, Joao Pedro.
In short, in Paris, PSG both won and had a psychological advantage overnight. Xvicha's substitution double made the game even more impressive. Is there intrigue in London? Yes. But Chelsea now needs a very big character.
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