BY Jonathan Ledger
Barcelona scored twice in the second half to defeat Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 3-2 in their UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-final first-leg encounter at the Parc des Princes Stadium in France on Wednesday night.
The former UCL champions, a shadow of their illustrious past, proved the better side against a nervy and unsure PSG side that briefly overturned a one-goal deficit before Barcelona also staged their comeback.
Rapinha, the Brazilian winger, put Barcelona in the lead when he picked his spot and slot in the rebound on 37 minutes, handing Barcelona an unlikely halftime lead. The hosts however roared back three minutes after the interval, with Ousmane Dembele, a former Barcelona player, equalizing for PSG with a rocket shot before Vitinha found the far corner with a low shot to put Luis Enrique’s side in front.
Raphinha completed his brace to equalize after the hour before Andreas Christiansen rose highest to head home Ilkay Gundogan’s corner-kick delivery.
In the second tie of the night, Sebastian Haller, Ivory Coast striker, scored in the 81st minute to reduce the deficit but could not stop Borussia Dortmund from losing 2-1 against Atletico Madrid in Spain.
The Germans will hope to turn the game around next week after goals from Rodrigo de Paul and Lino gave Atletico Madrid a slim advantage.
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