PARIS — In a decisive Champions League clash, João Neves and Ousmane Dembélé made impactful returns from injury, leading Paris Saint-Germain to a 5-2 triumph over Chelsea in the round of 16 on Wednesday evening.
The duo worked together to create the opening goal just 10 minutes into the match, with Dembélé showcasing his skills by scoring a spectacular solo goal just before halftime. Late substitutes Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sealed the victory with two stunning goals of his own.
The third goal came as a result of a mistake by Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jørgensen, who misplayed a pass directly to PSG’s Bradley Barcola. Barcola set up Kvaratskhelia, who then assisted Vitinha for a clever lob over Jørgensen.
Kvaratskhelia’s late goals provided PSG with a comfortable advantage heading into next week’s second leg at Stamford Bridge.
“We demonstrated our potential. We must keep this momentum,” Kvaratskhelia stated. “While we did concede goals, we need to review our mistakes.”
This match was a rematch of last summer’s Club World Cup final, where Chelsea previously triumphed over PSG 3-0.
Dembélé’s agility and sharp decision-making highlighted his return to form despite an injury-plagued season. He received a pass near midfield, sped past Chelsea defenders Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana, and fired a low shot into the left corner of the net.
“He performed excellently and played like the Ousmane Dembélé we know, which is very promising for us,” PSG coach Luis Enrique remarked. “We hope to see him replicate this performance in London next week.”
Dembélé was substituted in the second half, although it seemed to be a precaution rather than a recurrence of injury.
The opening goal occurred when Dembélé’s cross from the right was directed down by Neves, setting up Barcola to score from inside the box.
Dembélé nearly made it 2-0 moments later, striking the crossbar with a powerful shot. He exited the field midway through the second half.
Neves had previously been recovering from an ankle injury sustained during PSG’s advancement past Monaco in the Champions League playoffs last month.
Dembélé had recently overcome a calf injury, having appeared as a substitute in PSG’s 3-1 defeat against Monaco on Friday in Ligue 1.
The return of both players allowed coach Luis Enrique to field a nearly full-strength squad, although midfielder Fabián Ruiz remained unavailable due to a knee injury.
Information sourced from The Associated Press was utilized in this article.