Mbappe scores as PSG cruise to Champions League semifinal
PSG recovered from a home defeat and falling two goals behind as Mbappe converted a penalty and struck a late clincher to seal their place in semifinals with a 4-1 second-leg victory.
Kylian Mbappe (IANS)
BARCELONA: Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain advanced to the UEFA Champions League semifinal after a thrilling 4-1 second-leg win (6-4 on aggregate) over FC Barcelona on Tuesday night at Estadi Olompic Lluis Companys.
PSG recovered from a home defeat and falling two goals behind as Mbappe converted a penalty and struck a late clincher to seal their place in semifinals with a 4-1 second-leg victory.
The Parisians got off to a challenging start, conceding the first goal of the match after Raphinha scored in the 12th minute to make it 1-0 and 4-2 on aggregate. Ronald Araujo handed Luis Enrique and his team a lifeline midway through the first half.
Araujo received a straight red card, leaving Barcelona with ten men for most of the match. PSG would take advantage of the situation with Ousmane Dembele scoring in the 40th minute to level the game 1-1, making it 4-3 on aggregate, Ligue 1 reports.
In the second half, PSG took advantage of playing with an extra man to turn the tie on its head. Vitinha scored in the 54th minute to level the scoring on aggregate at 4-4 as the Ligue 1 side took a 2-1 lead in the match.
Dembele again haunted his former team as the 26-year-old won a penalty kick for the Parisians. Mbappe converted the chance in the 64th minute to give PSG a 3-1 lead in the contest and a 5-4 advantage on aggregate.