The Champions League is defined forcefully
The night left two clear results. Paris Saint-Germain beat Liverpool 2-0 at the Parc des Princes, while Atlético Madrid did the same by the same score at the Camp Nou against Barcelona. A coup of authority in the first leg of the quarterfinals.
In Paris, the magic of Kvaratskhelia was decisive.
Desiré Doué opened the scoring early, in the 11th minute, with a shot that deflected and deceived the goalkeeper. But it was the Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who sealed the victory in the 65th minute with a luxurious individual play. Luis Enrique trusted Marquinhos and Willian Pacho to keep the score behind.
The French team already knows what it means to eliminate this rival. He did it on penalties last season in the round of 16.
Now, the ball is in Liverpool’s court. The defending Premier League champions need an epic comeback at Anfield next Tuesday. His maximum goal this season hangs by a thread.
In Barcelona, Atlético was lethal.
Julián Álvarez, with a free kick just before the break, broke the initial tie. The expulsion of Pau Cubarsí for knocking down Giuliano Simeone changed everything for Barça. Alexander Sorloth, with a spectacular left-footed volley, put in definitive numbers.
Diego Simeone lined up a solid Argentine block with Musso, Molina, Álvarez and Simeone. This victory tastes especially sweet to ‘Cholo’, as it is his first victory as Atlético’s coach at the Camp Nou.
The ‘colchonero’ team has history in its favor in this phase against Barcelona.
The revenge at the Metropolitano appears like a mountain for a Barcelona that sees its European dream in danger. Meanwhile, the winners of these keys are already looking towards some heart-stopping semi-finals against giants like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Arsenal.
