On this day of Eid, celebrated by the Muslim community in practically every country in the world, the Champions League evening was particularly spectacular. In Paris, as in Madrid, the nets twinkled in the first leg of the CL quarter-finals.
What a treat!The four first-leg quarter-finals of the Champions League were top-notch in terms of intensity and, above all, goals. After the ten goals scored in Tuesday's two games, Wednesday's fixtures were also pure spectacle.
At the Parc des Princes, Paris and Barcelona thrilled the hearts of football fans with a series of twists and turns. The Catalans, who had the better of the first half, went into the break with a one-goal advantage courtesy of Raphina (1-0, 37th). But after the break, Luis Enrique made a slight tactical adjustment, bringing off Asensio for Bradley Barcola. The latter took over the right-hand side of the Parisian attack, and Dembelé, who had occupied this position for the first 45 minutes, slipped into the center of the park. It paid off. PSG toppled Barça in two minutes with two superb goals from Dembélé (48th) and Vitinha (50th).
However, Xavi responded to his compatriot and former Barça coach. He launched Pedri, who delivered a delightful pass to Raphina on his first ball for his brace (2-2, 62nd).It was far from over. In the 77th minute, Christensen headed home from a corner. The Danish defender put the ball back in front of the visitors, who took the lead (3-2).
At Madrid's Estadio Metropolitano, there was no such breathtaking scenario, but soccer fans were in for a real treat. In front of their home fans, Atletico won the first leg against Dortmund (2-1). The Madrid side made the difference early on.Argentine midfielder Rodrigo de Paul set his team-mates on their way in the4th minute.
On the half-hour mark, Samuel Lion made it 2-0 with a pass from Antoine Griezmann (32nd).With a two-goal lead, the Spaniards had a comfortable advantage for qualification to the semi-finals. But that was without counting on Sébastien Haller. After coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute, the Ivorian striker reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the 81st minute. A goal that gave the Germans great hope. On Tuesday, Signal Iduna Park will be in full support of its team for a Remontada.
