Real Madrid beats PSG to reach Champions League quarters

PARIS » Cristiano Ronaldo punished Paris Saint-Germain’s slack defending once again, scoring a powerful second-half header as Real Madrid cruised into the Champions League quarterfinals with a 2-1 win on Tuesday.

Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, PSG’s fragile defense crumbled and its attack offered little threat without the injured Neymar. The biggest bang from this PSG side was from the fireworks constantly let off by a section of fans behind one goal.

Edinson Cavani’s close-range goal gave PSG some hope with 20 minutes left. But with midfielder Marco Verratti already sent off, scoring two more to force extra time was beyond a lackluster PSG side.

Instead, midfielder Casemiro’s deflected shot looped past stranded goalkeeper Alphonse Areola in the 80th to make it 5-2 on aggregate. He was gifted the ball after midfielder Adrien Rabiot dealt poorly with Lucas Vazquez’s cross.

To compound a miserable night for PSG fans, who so badly want to believe this side can conquer Europe, Verratti showed terrible composure to in getting sent off midway through the second half. He got a second yellow card, having protested vehemently with referee Felix Brych after not getting a free kick his way.

Ronaldo had already done his usual damage.

The Champions League’s all-time leading scorer was given far too much space and leapt triumphantly to beat Areola with a downward header in the 51st minute. It took his tournament-leading tally to 12, including two in the first leg.

LIVERPOOL 0, PORTO 0 » Liverpool relied on its five goals from the first leg to oust Porto in the last 16 of the Champions League as the teams played out a dull draw in the return match on Tuesday.

Protecting a 5-0 lead, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp had the luxury of resting the joint-top scorer in the Premier League — Mo Salah — and world’s most expensive defender — Virgil van Dijk — for the second leg at Anfield.