The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Madrid marvels.
Ronaldo continues incredible scoring run to send Real into last eight
PSG 1 REAL MADRID 2 (REAL WIN 5-2 ON AGGREGATE)
Holders Real Madrid eased into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-1 win at 10-man Paris Saint Germain last night.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 12th goal in the competition and Casemiro’s late strike ensured Zinedine Zidane’s side progressed 5-2 on aggregate in the French capital.
Leading 3-1 from the first leg, Real never looked in danger against the sedate hosts despite Edinson Cavani’s fortunate second-half equaliser.
Zidane’s side put aside their LaLiga blues – they are 15 points behind rivals Barcelona – to reach the quarter-finals of the competition they won last June.
Marco Verratti was sent off for PSG in the second half as their hopes of a maiden Champions League title ended.
They are also likely to face Uefa punishment after the game was briefly halted at the start of the second half because of flares from the home fans.
PSG were too pedestrian in the first period and struggled to break down Real, who comfortably contained the surprisingly subdued hosts.
Benzema wasted Real’s best chance, and the opportunity to end the tie, eight minutes before the break when he broke down the left but was denied by Areola’s leg.
The first half, though, failed to live up to the hype and, with PSG hunting two goals to go through, they needed an early strike – and it was Real who ended up opening the scoring after 51 minutes.
Ronaldo had just headed wide but he was not to be denied a second time.
Dani Alves lost the ball to Asensio and his fine ball to Lucas Vazquez allowed the midfielder to cross for Ronaldo to head in at the far post.
It meant the ex-Manchester United star has scored in every Champions League appearance this season.
Things got worse for PSG 14 minutes later when Verratti was dismissed for a second yellow card for dissent.
Asensio hit the post three minutes later as Real threatened a second before the hosts got back on level terms for the night after 71 minutes.
Cavani knew little about it but claimed his 32nd goal of the campaign when the ball bounced around the box and hit the striker before crossing the line.
But Casemiro’s deflected effort 10 minutes later – his shot hit Marquinhos, wrong-footed Areola and looped in from 16 yards – ensured there was no way back for PSG.
LIVERPOOL 0 PORTO 0 (LIVERPOOL WIN 5-0 ON AGG)
Liverpool eased into the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in nine years with no great alarm in a lifeless goalless draw at home to Porto last night.
This game was the antithesis of their 5-0 win in the first leg at the Estadio do Dragao, but a professional performance, a fifth clean sheet in eight European matches and no apparent injuries represented mission accomplished.
While supporters may have had a justifiablecomplaint for being short-changed by the Champions League’ s top scorers, from Jurgen Klopp’s point of view there was no point in taking any risks – especially with Saturday lunchtime’s match at Manchester United looming large.