Paris Saint-Germain have beaten Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to secure a 4-2 aggregate victory over Guus Hiddink’s side in the last 16 of the Champions League.
The French champions went into the second leg with a 2-1 lead, and goals from Adrien Rabiot and Zlatan Ibrahimovic sealed the same scoreline in West London to book PSG’s place in the quarter-finals.
Ibrahimovic had a goal correctly disallowed for offside from the resulting corner, but it wouldn’t take long for PSG to break the deadlock on the night and increase their aggregate advantage.
Ibrahimovic, who was sent off after just 31 minutes when the two sides met at Stamford Bridge last season, was the creator as he fed a low pass across the face of goal for Adrien Rabiot to tap home ahead of Azpilicueta.
Chelsea were back level on the night before the half-hour mark, however, as Willian linked up with Pedro before finding Costa, who cut back inside Thiago Silva and swept his finish into the bottom corner.
Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard and Costa all had openings in the final five minutes before the interval, but none of them could get the goal to level things up on aggregate as PSG held on going into the break.
The second half was not as quick to get going as the first, and Chelsea were dealt a blow when Costa was forced off through injury, but they came close to a second shortly after the hour mark when Trapp was called upon to make a double save from Willian and Hazard in quick succession.
Ivanovic almost turned the ball into his own net with 10 minutes remaining following an identical move down the left, but the match petered out with no further goals as Chelsea fell at the hands of PSG for the second season in a row.
Meanwhile, two late goals sent Benfica through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League at Zenit St Petersburg’s expense.
The Portuguese side led 1-0 after the first leg and it looked like the tie was going to extra time tonight until Nicolas Gaitan struck to end Zenit’s hopes.
Benfica’s top scorer Jonas, who scored the late winner in a cagey first leg, was first to threaten tonight with a free kick that Yuri Lodygin tipped over.
Trending
- Exit of multinationals has cost Nigeria N95 trillion in five years, says Peter Obi
- Flooding: Two feared dead in early Monday downpour in Abuja
- Group denies Aiyedatiwa influenced judgement on LCDAs cancellation
- NUJ to Tinubu: Resolve minimum wage issue
- FG declares one-year mandatory training for workers with HND holders
- Woman arrested for allegedly transporting ammunitions to terrorists in Katsina
- NLC speaks on reasons governors flout minimum wage law
- Police advice Rivers NULGE to suspend planned protest