Late PSG surge leaves Chelsea with mountain to climb | OneFootball

Paris St-Germain took a big step towards the Champions League quarter-finals after coming through a thrilling, end-to-end clash with Chelsea in Paris.

The holders were pushed hard for much of the night, but two late goals from substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave them a commanding advantage heading into the second leg.

PSG made the brighter start and went ahead early when Bradley Barcola drilled a powerful effort through a crowd of bodies and inside the near post. Chelsea responded well though and gradually settled into the match.

Their equaliser came through Malo Gusto, who surged forward and finished confidently after being picked out by Enzo Fernandez.

The lead did not last long. Ousmane Dembele quickly restored PSG’s advantage, twisting away from Wesley Fofana before calmly slotting past Filip Jorgensen.

Chelsea once again fought back after the break. Pedro Neto forced a turnover in midfield and delivered a low ball across the box that Fernandez smashed home to level the match at 2-2.

For long spells Chelsea matched the European champions, but the turning point arrived when Jorgensen attempted to play out from the back and sent a loose pass straight to Barcola. PSG reacted instantly and Vitinha punished the mistake with a delicate lob over the stranded goalkeeper to make it 3-2.

Chelsea struggled to recover from the setback. Kvaratskhelia then produced a moment of real quality, curling a brilliant strike from the edge of the area to extend PSG’s lead.

The Georgian forward wrapped things up in stoppage time, calmly finishing after another quick PSG break to make it five on the night.

It was a harsh ending for Chelsea, who had shown plenty of ambition and quality for much of the game. However, defensive lapses and a costly error ultimately left them facing a huge task when the sides meet again at Stamford Bridge next week.

Incidents: The story of the match

1':

The match begins

4':

Opportunity wasted! João Pedro from Chelsea took a right-footed shot from the center of the box, but it went wide to the left. The assist came from Reece James, who delivered a cross.

Paris Saint Germain takes the lead, 1-0 against Chelsea. Bradley Barcola scores with a left-footed shot from the center of the box, finding the top left corner of the net. The assist comes from João Neves, who set him up with a header.

10':

GOAL PSG: Bradley Barcola (PSG) scores!

Bradley Barcola scores goal number 1 in the competition (11 matches) Bradley Barcola scores goal number 38 for his team (141 matches)

14':

Missed opportunity. Enzo Fernández from Chelsea attempted a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area.

It's now 1-1 between Paris Saint Germain and Chelsea. Malo Gusto scores for Chelsea with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box, sending the ball straight into the center of the net. The assist came from Enzo Fernández.

28':

GOAL Chelsea: Malo Gusto (Chelsea) scores!

Malo Gusto scores goal number 1 in the competition (7 matches)

Paris Saint Germain takes the lead with a score of 2-1 against Chelsea. Ousmane Dembélé scores with a right-footed shot from the middle of the box, finding the left corner of the net. The assist came from Désiré Doué, who set him up with a perfectly timed through ball during a quick counter-attack.

40':

GOAL PSG: Ousmane Dembélé (PSG) scores!

Ousmane Dembélé scores goal number 2 in the competition (7 matches) Ousmane Dembélé scores goal number 54 for his team (123 matches)

It's now Paris Saint Germain 2, Chelsea 2. Enzo Fernández scores for Chelsea with a right-footed shot from the middle of the penalty area.

57':

GOAL Chelsea: Enzo Fernández (Chelsea) scores!

Enzo Fernández scores goal number 3 in the competition (9 matches) Enzo Fernández scores goal number 29 for his team (159 matches)

Paris Saint Germain takes the lead with a score of 3-2 against Chelsea. Vitinha finds the back of the net with a right-footed shot from the middle of the box, placing it perfectly in the center of the goal. The assist comes from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.Paris Saint Germain takes the lead with a score of 3-2 against Chelsea. Vitinha scores with a right-footed shot from the middle of the box, finding the center of the net. The assist comes from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

74':

GOAL PSG: Vitinha (PSG) scores!

Vitinha scores goal number 6 in the competition (11 matches) Vitinha scores goal number 27 for his team (193 matches)

84':

Missed opportunity! Liam Delap from Chelsea attempted a right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area, but it narrowly missed the target. The assist came from Reece James.

84':

Missed opportunity! Liam Delap from Chelsea took a right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area, but it went just wide. Reece James provided the assist.

Paris Saint Germain leads Chelsea 4-2. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scores with a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area, finding the bottom right corner. The assist came from Willian Pacho.

86':

GOAL PSG: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG) scores!

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scores goal number 5 in the competition (10 matches) Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scores goal number 20 for his team (68 matches)

90 +4':

GOAL PSG: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG) scores!

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scores goal number 6 in the competition (10 matches) Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scores goal number 20 for his team (68 matches)

998':

The referee whistles for the end of the match