Parc des Princes crackles as PSG beat Chelsea 5-2 in Champions League | OneFootball

PSG beat Chelsea 5-2 in the Champions League last-16 first leg. According to L'Équipe, the stadium, often subdued of late, rediscovered its edge, the noise peaking late on.

The crowd was whipped up within minutes, with Achraf Hakimi urging the stands in the eighth minute. After Ousmane Dembélé scored Paris’s second, the ground felt like last season again, complete with a Ballon d’Or refrain for him.

The build-up brought a rising hum without a giant tifo, and there were no incidents between supporters. Nasser al-Khelaïfi remained in Doha due to the geopolitical context, while Matthieu Jalibert, Richard Gasquet and Samuel Eto’o were among those present, alongside Safet Susic, Marco Verratti, Javier Pastore, Pedro Miguel Pauleta, Raphaël Quenard and Oli.

Around 2,000 Chelsea supporters struggled to be heard for long spells. They found their voice after the visitors’ second goal, but only for about 20 minutes, before Vitinha set the place alight and Khvitcha Kvaratskhelia’s show began.

A late touchline flare-up, when Pedro Neto shoved a ballboy, further stoked the atmosphere. The fifth home goal drew a roar comparable to last May’s semi-final second leg against Arsenal, a 2-1 occasion.

Source: L'Équipe