UCL: PSG punish Chelsea late as Kvaratskhelia double seals dramatic Champions League win
A late collapse from Chelsea FC allowed Paris Saint‑Germain to seize control of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scoring twice to give the holders a commanding 5-2 victory in the first leg.
Chelsea had battled back impressively to level the match at 2-2, but a costly mistake from goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen sparked a dramatic late turnaround at the Parc des Princes.
The hosts had taken an early lead through Bradley Barcola who fired a powerful shot through a crowd of players after a cross from Ousmane Dembélé.
Chelsea responded through Malo Gusto, who finished calmly after being picked out by Enzo Fernández, but PSG quickly regained the lead when Dembélé raced clear of Wesley Fofana to score.
Fernández struck again in the second half to level the contest after Pedro Neto delivered a dangerous low cross following a turnover in midfield.
However, the match turned decisively when Jorgensen’s misplaced pass fell straight to Barcola. Midfielder Vitinha capitalised by lobbing the stranded goalkeeper to restore PSG’s lead.
Substitute Kvaratskhelia then produced a moment of brilliance, curling an unstoppable strike from the edge of the box before adding a fifth goal with a composed finish in the closing seconds.
The result leaves Chelsea facing a daunting task in the return leg at Stamford Bridge next week, where they must overturn a three-goal deficit to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Comments (0)