Carlo Ancelotti set Real Madrid out to get a 0-0 draw in Paris and Thibaut Courtois saved Lionel Messi’s penalty, but Kylian Mbappé snatched victory in stoppages, while Manchester City made history in Lisbon.
PSG dominated the first half and most of the second, as Gianluigi Donnarumma didn’t have to make a single real save, while Marco Verratti ran the midfield, neutralising Luka Modric.
Just when it looked like we were set for a 0-0 draw, up pops Kylian Mbappe with a bit of absolute magic 😍
Big player. Big moment. Advantage PSG.#UCL pic.twitter.com/lqBjnAEPMJ
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 15, 2022
Casemiro and Ferland Mendy will be suspended for the second leg on March 9, as they picked up yellow cards from Italian referee Daniele Orsato.
The official pointed to the spot when Dani Carvajal mistimed his sliding tackle on Kylian Mbappé, so Messi stepped up, but Courtois got down to save the penalty. That was Messi’s fifth failed spot-kick in the Champions League out of 23 attempts.
Neymar made his comeback after an ankle injury on November 28 and Mbappé drilled just wide, while Neymar and Mbappé couldn’t finish off promising moves.
Deep into stoppages, Mbappé finally broke the deadlock to give PSG the win they deserved, skipping between two defenders down the left and placing it low into the far bottom corner from a tight angle. Ironically he is preparing to leave Paris as a free agent for Real Madrid next season.
In the other match, Manchester City made history with their 5-0 victory against Sporting CP in Lisbon.
It was the first time a team has been 4-0 up at half-time away from home in a Champions League knockout round.
Riyadh Mahrez opened the scoring, followed by a Bernardo Silva brace, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling.
PSG 1-0 Real Madrid
Mbappé 93 (P)
Saved penalty: Messi 61 (P)
Sporting CP 0-5 Man City
Mahrez 7 (M), Bernardo Silva 17, 44 (M), Foden 32 (M), Sterling 58 (M)
When u concentrate the talent (wealth) in a few teams you have results like Man city.
Each year the champions League becomes a procession until the semis where you have the same four out of six teams.
Football across Europe is getting boring
So given United has the highest net spend, yet they haven’t made a UCL semi in more than a decade. Not everybody who spends is winning but agree largely on your point.
City tonight essentially was Benfica ‘A+’ – Ederson, Ruben Dias, Cancelo and Bernardo Silva.
0 – 5 away from home does indicate a large disparity between teams. But unfortunately that is the way it is; the spending power of (PL) Man City, Liverpool and PSG is just too overwhelming at the moment. Only Bayern and Real Madrid can compete.