Luis Suarez hit a brilliant second-half double as Barcelona appeared to end Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League dream for another year with a 3-1 quarter-final, first leg win at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
In the other first leg of a quarter-final, Ricardo Quaresma’s two early goals and a second-half strike from Jackson Martinez helped a slick Porto complete a stunning 3-1 home victory over a sloppy Bayern Munich.
Barcelona’s all-star attack made their class count as Neymar coolly converted from a Lionel Messi assist in the 18th minute to put Luis Enrique’s men in control, before Suarez produced two clinical finishes in the final quarter of the game. PSG got one back eight minutes from time from what was credited as a Jeremy Mathieu own-goal from a Gregory van der Wiel shot, but this was their first home defeat of the season and a first loss at home in Europe in 34 matches since 2006.
Next Tuesday’s second leg at the Camp Nou now looks set to be a formality, even if PSG will have talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti back from suspension by then.
“We were superior in midfield, were dangerous going forward and defended well as a team. It was a complete performance from us,” said Luis Enrique. “But we are not going to make the mistake of thinking the tie is finished.”
The French champions have been eliminated on away goals at this stage of the competition in each of the last two seasons, including against Barca in 2013, but they will do very well to even make it that close on this occasion.
“I’m not fixated by having possession but when one team forces another back, especially with an attacking trio of their quality, it’s difficult,” admitted Paris coach Laurent Blanc. “My players gave everything, which is why they are disappointed. They felt they couldn’t do more.” PSG’s evening was further marred by the loss of Captain Thiago Silva, who hobbled off just after Neymar’s opener with a thigh problem.
The Portuguese side exploded into action with two goals in the opening 10 minutes, with Quaresma converting from the penalty spot and finishing neatly as Bayern’s sluggish defending was punished. Five-times champions Bayern, decimated by injuries, clawed their way back into the tie when midfielder Thiago Alcantara steered home at the far post after 28 minutes.
But Martinez pounced on an error by Jerome Boateng after 65 minutes and rounded Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer to re-establish Porto’s two-goal advantage heading into the return leg on April 21. Bayern came into the game, a repeat of the 1987 European Cup final which Porto won 2-1, ravaged by injuries and robbed of the services of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger and David Alaba among others. It was, however, a different story for Porto, who welcomed back Martinez from a hamstring injury.
The Colombia striker wasted little time in making his mark, robbing a dawdling Xabi Alonso of the ball on the edge of the Bayern box before being felled by Neuer’s outstretched leg. The Bayern keeper was perhaps lucky to receive just a yellow card, but his punishment was swiftly increased as Quaresma stepped up to stroke the penalty into the bottom corner.
There was no time for the visitors’ nerves to settle as Quaresma pounced on another mistake, robbing Dante before dashing through and beating Neuer with an expertly-taken finish with the outside of his boot to make it 2-0 after 10 minutes.
It looked like Bayern could be on the end of an embarrassing scoreline as the hosts’ slick passing was cutting through at will. But the Germans clawed a goal back on 28 minutes when Boateng’s low cross from the right escaped both Danilo and Bruno Martins Indi to reach Alcantara, who slotted home coolly past Porto keeper Fabiano. As the excitement rose in the second half, Porto managed to maintain their impressive energy levels and took the game to Bayern once again.
P.S: Bayern Munich‘s medical coach has resigned over being blamed for the team loss .
