Gianluigi Donnarumma made a fantastic fingertip save, but his howler sparked the Real Madrid comeback as PSG crumbled to a 3-1 defeat with Karim Benzema’s hat-trick.
The first leg ended 1-0 with a stoppage-time solo strike from Kylian Mbappé, so Carlo Ancelotti’s Merengues knew they needed a victory to even force extra time.
It was a very aggressive start from the Spaniards, yet it was Mbappé who forced early saves on the counter-attack.
Benzema curled from the edge of the box, Donnarumma at full stretch getting his fingertips to turn it around the far top corner.
Mbappé did have the ball in the net on 33 minutes, but it was disallowed because Nuno Mendes was just offside in the build-up.
Video: Donnarumma shows his best and worst against Real Madrid
Benzema’s free header was wide, but Mbappé did indeed get a goal that counted when running onto a first-time Neymar pass and beating Thibaut Courtois at the near post.
Another Mbappé goal was disallowed for a clear offside on 53 minutes, a pity because it included a magnificent dummy from the striker.
Donnarumma has always had issues with his feet and showed it again when pressured by Benzema on a back-pass, trying to play rather than just kicking it clear, and it allowed Real Madrid to equalise. Donnarumma complained he had been fouled by Benzema, but only received a yellow card for his trouble.
Benzema was fired up, his header inches wide moments later, then Vinicius fired over from close range, but the goal was coming and Luka Modric threaded through for Benzema to spring the offside trap, a deflection off Marquinhos pushing it over Donnarumma.
Incredibly, straight from the restart Benzema had his hat-trick, as PSG visibly crumbled and gave it away immediately, Benzema pouncing on another Marquinhos error.
Modric and Lionel Messi both skimmed the crossbar in the final minutes, but this 3-1 win was enough to secure passage into the quarter-finals and seal yet another desperately disappointing PSG Champions League experience.
Real Madrid 3-1 PSG (3-2 agg)
Mbappé 39 (P), Benzema 61, 76, 78 (RM)
That’s the difference between Real and Inter. Inter chickens out yesterday despite they have nothing to lose. Inzaghi saves Dzeko for Serie A match. What a joke.
I agree.
True. Not only that, the way Ancelotti kept pressing them up the pitch after the third goal and didn’t set his team back to defend deep was amazing. That was the only way. PSG were stunned.
Do not worry the perennial whipping boys and biggest losers (7/9) of Europe make PSG look like amateurs. At least the plastic club have only been trying for 10 years to no avail. Europe’s pub team who think they’re world beaters and believe that they have the same prestige as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Munich, Liverpool and so on have been trying for eons just to win the prize.
The annual collapse of PSG in the champions league. No resiliency whatsoever…but couldn’t happen to a better club, cheers!
@LORD ALLEGRI PATRON SAINT OF SNOW BALL u are absolutely right. PSG are a plastic club. They have no prestige in the world game and yet they claim they are the greatest in the world. tbh I do hope Real Madrid get knocked out in the next round cuz I hate Florentino Perez