MADRID (BBC): European champions Real Madrid moved into the Champions League quarter-finals as they beat Ligue 1 leaders Paris St-Germain at Parc des Princes.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in the first leg at home, which Real won 3-1, and he headed in from Lucas Vazquez’s cross to extend Real’s lead in France.
PSG had midfielder Marco Verratti sent off for two bookable offences, before Edinson Cavani pulled a goal back.
But Casemiro’s heavily deflected strike sealed Real’s victory.
For PSG, 14 points clear at the top of Ligue 1, it is the second successive season where they have gone out at the last-16 phase and it leaves manager Unai Emery’s future at the club in doubt.
They were without injured forward Neymar and were not helped by Verratti’s needless dismissal in the 66th minute. The Italy international was booked when he fouled Casemiro in the first half and was shown a second yellow card when he sprinted after referee Felix Brych and was cautioned for dissent. Real are now into the Champions League quarter-finals for an eighth successive season and remain on course for a third title in a row.
Real won the Spanish Supercup in August and the Fifa Club World Cup in December, but manager Zinedine Zidane has come under increasing pressure with the club struggling in La Liga. They are in third place in the Spanish top flight, 15 points behind leaders Barcelona.
However, Zidane got his tactics spot on against PSG, leaving Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale on the bench as he looked to hit the hosts on the counter-attack, with Vazquez and Marco Asensio occupying the wide midfield roles.
PSG had scored 86 goals in 28 Ligue 1 matches and also netted 25 times in their six Champions League group games, but were restricted to only three shots on target in this second leg, which was played in a fantastic atmosphere in Paris.
Ronaldo netted his 12th goal in this season’s Champions League when Real pounced on a Dani Alves error and the Portugal forward converted with a powerful header from six yards out after Vasquez’s fine cross.
Cavani scored a fortunate equaliser when a clearance rebounded off him into the net, but Casemiro’s strike went in off PSG defender Marquinhos as Real made sure of their passage into the next round.
It could have been even worse for PSG as Real also hit the woodwork twice, through Asensio and Vasquez, who collected a pull-back from substitute Bale, but struck the foot of the post.
Liverpool reach
quarterfinal after draw against Porto
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool “belong” in the Champions League quarter-finals after a 0-0 second-leg draw at Anfield gave them a 5-0 aggregate win over Porto in their last-16 tie.
It is the first time since 2009 the Reds have reached the last eight but Klopp insisted it “should not be a big surprise”.
Liverpool won 5-0 in Portugal to set up a comfortable return leg at Anfield. They will discover their next opponents when the draw is made on 16 March.
“The next round will be difficult, seven other very good teams – maybe four of them are from England, which doesn’t make it easier,” Klopp said.
“I think we will have a chance for sure to go to the semi-finals. We’ll take it step by step.”
The quarter-final ties will be played in the first and second weeks of April and Klopp says he “doesn’t care” who Liverpool’s opponents are.
“We take it how it comes,” he said. “We don’t wish for anybody. We play whoever we get.”
It wasn’t a spectacular ending to Liverpool’s last-16 tie but there were a few chances to break the deadlock. Sadio Mane acrobatically fired an effort over the bar and hit the post in a generally tame first half that also saw Dejan Lovren head narrowly wide.
Danny Ings picked up some rare game-time as a second-half substitute and was denied from close range by Iker Casillas late in the game after Majeed Waris’ strike – Porto’s only shot on target.
Klopp used the opportunity to rest players for Liverpool’s Premier League match against Manchester United on Saturday (12:30 GMT), making five changes to the starting line-up. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were named among the substitutes but the Egyptian did have a cameo in the second half as Mane was given a breather.
There was also a chance for Joe Gomez and Adam Lallana to gain further fitness following returns from injury.
