PSG 2-0 Borussia Dortmund: 5 Hits and Flops as Parisians recover to book quarter-final berth
Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League last-16 curse has finally been broken, as first-half goals by Neymar and Juan Bernat helped them overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit to sink Borussia Dortmund, earning a quarter-final berth among Europe's elite for the first time since 2016.
Their mature display, coupled with news that Atletico Madrid were extra-time winners over defending champions Liverpool in the evening's other last-16 clash, means Thomas Tuchel's side have a golden opportunity to silence their critics while embarking on the best UCL run in club history this term.
Neymar broke the deadlock after 28 minutes, but couldn't miss from close-range after Angel di Maria's brilliant cross. Achraf Hakimi's poor positioning proved pivotal, giving the Brazilian enough time and space to flick goalwards.
Although they would have gone through by virtue of away goals with a 1-0 lead, overlapping fullback Bernat doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time after latching onto Pablo Sarabia's fizzed cross and turning beyond Roman Burki. This was another preventable goal from Dortmund's perspective, who were sloppy, ponderous and appeared to switch roles with their hosts after delivering an excellent first-leg display on February 18.
Despite Jadon Sancho's creative efforts, as well as marked improvement once Julian Brandt and Claudio Reyna were introduced in the second-half, BVB's attempts to cause havoc were ultimately futile. Emre Can was sent off late on for a forceful challenge on Neymar near the touchline, prompting an on-pitch scuffle as multiple players got involved with tempers flaring. It rather typified the way Dortmund were stifled, by a team they had no answers for.
This was an evening where their slender aggregate lead evaporated before their eyes - while inviting the Ligue 1 giants to settle quickly and allowing their own midfield to be nullified, despite a number of key PSG players watching on from the stands. With all of that in mind, here's a look at five hits and flops from a memorable evening's work in Paris:
#5 Flop: Thorgan Hazard
Just like in the first leg three weeks ago, Thorgan Hazard largely flattered to deceive before being replaced midway through the second half. This was again another game for the Belgian to forget, and although hindsight is a wonderful thing, Lucien Favre would have been better placed to start Julian Brandt ahead of him after his purposeful cameo.
The only difference on this occasion was, he was even more unsuccessful than the reverse fixture in Germany, where the 26-year-old switched wings with Jadon Sancho to try and help remedy that situation. Here, he was clearly trying more down the flank without improved success and struggled against a physically imposing Thilo Kehrer down his side.
His stats speak for themselves, on an evening where Erling Braut Haaland was stifled and Sancho felt compelled to go it alone - presumably because of ineffective support in creative areas. Completed one of five attempted dribbles, had 83% pass success rate (19/23), won just three of 17 total duels, committed four fouls and was dribbled past on three occasions.