Paris Saint-Germain have taken a giant step in direction of the Champions League spherical of 16 by beating Brest 3-0 in a first-leg playoff match.
Ousmane Dembele scored twice and Vitinha transformed a penalty to place the French champions in management in Guingamp, France, on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT).
Having made onerous work of the new-look league part of the match, it might take a serious upset within the second leg in Paris to disclaim PSG a spot within the subsequent spherical.
The Qatar-backed PSG are one of many wealthiest golf equipment on the earth, however had been in peril of early elimination earlier than securing the lifeline of a playoff by ending fifteenth within the 36-team league.
They weren’t the one European giants dealing with a playoff to advance.
Defending champions Actual Madrid and 2023 champions Manchester Metropolis had been going head-to-head within the greatest conflict of the playoffs, with the primary leg on the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
That is the fourth 12 months in a row they’ve confronted one another within the Champions League, with the winner on the three earlier events happening to elevate the trophy.
Metropolis head into the primary leg in the midst of a disappointing marketing campaign that has seen their Premier League title defence unravel. However Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti nonetheless believes his workforce must overcome among the finest on the earth to advance to the spherical of 16.
“They’re among the finest groups in Europe they usually have the very best supervisor (Pep Guardiola) on the market. It is a nightmare getting ready for video games in opposition to him as a result of he all the time has concepts that make you suppose,” Ancelotti stated.
“I’m satisfied the workforce that goes by way of from this tie will go on to win the competitors.”
Guardiola stated he didn’t know what to anticipate from his workforce after a troubled season has left them in fifth place within the Premier League, 15 factors behind chief Liverpool.
“We have not been constant, when what’s outlined the workforce over the past decade has been we’re an unbelievable machine each three days, in any other case we can not win six Premier Leagues in seven years or win the unbelievable trophies we now have gained,” he stated. “Then I’d really feel, sure, the workforce is constant, we will do it. Now it is like, I do not know.”
Dembele’s double noticed him rating for a tenth recreation in a row, with 18 targets throughout that streak.
It was his shot that led to PSG’s Twenty first-minute penalty after Pierre Lees-Melou dealt with within the space. Vitinha transformed the spot kick.
After Brest striker Abdallah Sima headed a nook in opposition to the submit, Dembele acquired his first aim within the forty fifth minute when he broke free down the fitting and curled a shot contained in the submit.
His second got here within the 66th minute when he pounced on a unfastened ball and burst into the penalty space to attain his twenty third aim of the season.
