Real Madrid, PSG advance to semifinals in Champions
PA R IS — With first-leg victories, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are in good position to reach the Champions League semifinals.
PSG took advantage of Chelsea’s sloppy defending in a 3-1 win Wednesday night as substitute Javier Pastore scored a brilliant late goal on a solo run.
Madrid won 3-0 at home against Borussia Dortmund as Cristiano Ronaldo got his record-tying 14th goal of this season’s competition.
Ezequiel Lavezzi put the hosts ahead in the fourth minute following a poor headed clearance by Chelsea captain John Terry. Eden Hazard’s penalty kick tied the score in the 27th after Thiago Silva pulled down Oscar, but PSG went back in front in the 61st when Lavezzi’s free kick from a flank ricocheted off David Luiz’s shin and into the net.
“When the games are tight and when you make the defensive mistakes, you are in trouble,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said.
“We couldn’t transform these half-chances into goals and on top of that we made defensive mistakes, the kind of individual defensive mistakes, and we paid the price,” he added.
Pastore scored in injury time, gathering the ball on a wing, cutting inside, manoeuvring through the penalty area and beating goalkeeper Petr Cech with a low shot.
PSG has not reached the semifinals since 1995.
Pa ris sta r forwa rd Zlata n Ibrahimovic limped off in the 68th with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
“He wanted to carry on but it wasn’t sensible,” PSG coach Laurent Blanc said. “He will probably be out for a while.”
In Madrid, Ronaldo scored his 45th goal overall this season in the 57th minute, then left in the 80th with what appeared to be a leg injury.
Playing in his 100th Champions League game, Ronaldo scored when he took a pass from Luka Modric and rounded goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller.
Ronaldo matched the Champion Clubs’ Cup/Champions League mark shared by AC Milan’s Jose Altafini (1962-63) and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (2011-12).
“Ronaldo has a problem with his knee, but at this moment I’m not worried about it,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said.