PSG reach the quarters

French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint Germain became the fourth team in the Champions League to qualify for the quarterfinals when they beat German side Bayer 04 Leverkusen 6-1 on aggregate. Having been in commanding position with a 4-0 lead at the end of the first leg, PSG was almost sure of a spot in the next round. They made it real when they beat the German side 2-1 in the return leg of the match.

Leverkusen, however, looked like being set for staging an upset as they made a spirited start in the match. They opened the scoring, much to the disbelief of the home supporters, in the 6^th minute of the match through Sidney Sam. But they could not hold on to the lead for long as Marqiunhos restored parity 7 minutes after conceding the goal. Leverkusen probably got the biggest chance of coming back into the match when they got a penalty just before the half-hour mark. But much to the despair of the Leverkusen supporters, Simon Raulfes’s shot was pushed aside by Salvatore Sirigu. That proved to be the turning point of the match as PSG took total control from then on. As the second half began, Ezequiel Lavezzi scored for the home side to rule out any chance of a comeback for the German outfit. Leverkusen’s misery further worsened when Emre Can was given the marching orders.

With such a dominating performance in the first knock-out encounter of the Champions League 2013-14, PSG is looking good for the maiden trophy. This could just be the beginning of a new script in the history of the French football-in the history of Paris Saint Germain.

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About Argha Ghosh

An ardent follower of sports and die-hard Manchester United fan, Argha's ultimate dream is to watch a Manchester derby from the Stretford End at the Old Trafford.