CL: PSG Dismantle Barca In Paris

Barcelona got a treatment of their own medicine, after Paris Saint-Germain turned the tables on the five-time champions in the UEFA Champions League first leg of the Round of 16 at the Parc des Princes, Paris on Tuesday night.

Angel Di Maria scored two superb goals and top scorer Edinson Cavani grabbed his 34th of a prolific season, with both players scoring on their birthdays as the French champions tore apart a disorganised Barcelona side who have it all to do in the return leg.

Argentine winger, Di Maria, opened the scoring in the 18th minute and then he curled in another in 10 minutes into the second half to celebrate his 29th birthday in style.

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Newly-signed winger Julian Draxler got the other in between while Edinson Cavani marked his 30th birthday by adding his name to the scoresheet in the 71st minute in the French capital.

The result marked Barcelona’s biggest defeat in European competition since after losing 7-0 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the semi finals of 2013.

“To win 4-0 against Barcelona on my birthday is incredible, we are so happy,” Di Maria said. “It was the perfect match and we are delighted with the result. To go through we will need to produce another performance like this. We scored four goals but they are capable of doing the same thing.”

The last time this two sides met, Barcelona thrashed PSG 5-1 on aggregate, and the Spanish giants will be hoping for a miracle and a sixth European crown in the second leg on March 8.

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“They were better than us from the start and put us under pressure,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. “We couldn’t get out of it. We were obviously inferior.

“I’m responsible for this, we might need to change our shape (for the return leg) but it wasn’t really the shape that was to blame.

“It’s extremely difficult for us now but we go back to our stadium and really we need a heroic performance,” he added.

In the other game of the night, Kostas Mitroglou’s second half strike was the difference as Benfica defeated wasteful Borussia Dortmund 1-0 in their first leg match.

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