Barcelona, PSG closer to Champions League quarters

Four-time winners Barcelona and French champions Paris Saint Germain took huge strides towards the Champions League last eight on Tuesday as they both won away from home in their last-16 first-leg ties.

Barcelona prevailed 2-0 over English side Manchester City, scoring both goals, a penalty by Lionel Messi and a late goal by Dani Alves, only after Argentinian defender Martin Demichelis was sent off eight minutes into the second-half.

PSG, who were eliminated by Barcelona in the quarter-finals last season, thumped German outfit Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in Germany but unlike Barcelona took the match by the scruff of the neck early on and led 3-0 at half-time with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring two of them.

The City and Barcelona clash turned in the 53rd minute when Demichelis brought down Messi, with it looking like it happened outside the penalty area.

However Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson thought otherwise and not only awarded the penalty but also sent off Demichelis.

City did not wilt and had their chances to pull level but instead were hit by a sucker punch at the end as the always dangerous Dani Alves nipped in to slot home a sweetly taken goal.

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas said it had been an important statement by his side in light of some remarks especially by former Real Madrid and now Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who had said they were the worst Barcelona team of “many years”.

“Well we are in the Spanish Cup final, top of the league and we won with a great performance tonight, so we must be doing something right,” said the 26-year-old.

“Some people have been doing a lot of talking, nothing new there with one of them, and hopefully this will make them shut up for a few days.”

While that match remained tight until the end, the other game was over as a contest by half-time as PSG overwhelmed a side that lost 10-2 on aggregate to Barcelona the last time they appeared in this stage of the competition two years ago.

Blaise Matuidi scored the opener and Ibrahimovic the other two, the second of those a scorching effort from outside the box.

The hosts’ chances of at least getting a goal back decreased markedly when Bosnian international defender Emir Spahic — who had been responsible for conceding the penalty that Ibrahimovic scored for his first goal — was sent off for a second bookable offence.

PSG grabbed a fourth late in the game through recent signing Yohan Cabaye.

“We had a good start and when you are one goal up, it’s easier, it gives you space,” said Ibrahimovic. “We had a good first half and continued to play our game after the break, when they played with one less, so it was a good day.”