PSG AND ATLETICO REACH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI FINALS
By: Gyang Dakwo
Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid have both secured places in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League after dramatic quarter final ties on Tuesday night, with PSG easing past Liverpool and Atletico surviving a strong fight from Barcelona.
PSG confirmed their dominance with a 2-0 win over Liverpool FC at Anfield, and this gave them a comfortable 4-0 aggregate victory.
The French side had already done much of the work in the first leg, and they stayed calm under pressure in the second half as Liverpool pushed forward in front of their home fans.
Ousmane Dembele proved to be the difference again, as he scored twice to seal the result. He got the first goal in the 72nd minute after connecting with a pass from Bradley Barcola and placing his shot neatly into the bottom corner. He then added another goal in stoppage time, finishing off another assist from Barcola to put the game beyond doubt.
PSG will now face either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the next round, as both teams prepare for their decisive second leg.
In Spain, Atletico Madrid went through after a tense 2-1 home loss to FC Barcelona, but they advanced 3-2 on aggregate. Atletico had taken a strong 2-0 lead from the first leg, but Barcelona responded quickly in the return match.
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring early for Barcelona, and Ferran Torres added a second goal to level the tie on aggregate. Atletico struggled at that point, but they found a way back into the game.
Marcos Llorente made a strong run and delivered a cross that was finished by Ademola Lookman, and that goal restored Atletico’s advantage over the two legs.
Barcelona continued to press in the second half, and they controlled much of the play through Pedri and Gavi. However, they could not find the third goal they needed, and their task became harder after Eric Garcia was sent off late in the match.
Atletico held on under pressure until the final whistle, and they will now meet either Arsenal FC or Sporting CP in the semifinals.
