adminPARIS. — Paris Saint-Germain overcame the early dismissal of star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to sensationally knock Chelsea out of the Champions League on away goals on Wednesday night as Bayern Munich also qualified with a 7-0 rout of 10-man Shakhtar Donetsk. Held 1-1 in their last 16, first leg tie at Parc des Princes the Parisians needed an exploit to get past Chelsea in Stamford Bridge, and they achieved just that in the English capital to join holders Real Madrid and Porto who advanced to the last eight on Tuesday.
Thiago Silva scored a sensational extra-time header for 10-man PSG after an electrifying 2-2 draw, with the Parisians advancing 3-3 on away goals.
Ibrahimovic was sent off in the first half and PSG fell behind to a Gary Cahill goal with nine minutes remaining, only for Chelsea old boy David Luiz to take the tie to extra-time with an emphatic 86th-minute header.
Silva appeared to have gifted Chelsea a place in the last eight after conceding a penalty for handball that Eden Hazard converted, but the PSG captain scored with six minutes of the game remaining to send Laurent Blanc’s side through on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.
The irony of the scoreline will not have been lost on PSG, who were eliminated by Chelsea on away goals in last season’s quarter-finals after another 3-3 draw, but their breakthrough victory was richly deserved after a mature and resolute display on a tense and fractious night.
The French champions’ dreams of an unprecedented quadruple remain intact, while Jose Mourinho will have to wait at least another season for an opportunity to win the Champions League with his beloved Chelsea.
Despite playing out a drab goalless draw in the first leg in Ukraine, Bayern made no such mistake against a Shakhtar side reduced to 10 men in just the third minute after Olexander Kucher brought down Mario Goetze.
Thomas Mueller scored from the resulting penalty, Jerome Boateng also getting on the scoresheet before half-time.
The floodgates opened in the second-half, Franck Ribery, Mueller, Holger Badstuber, Robert Lewandowski and Goetze all scoring.
Real Madrid and Porto both booked their berths on Tuesday.
Ronaldo, now the all-time leading goalscorer in European competition after two goals in the upset 4-3 defeat against Schalke, took his total to 78, surpassing the previous record held by another former Real stalwart, Raul.
Real’s 2-0 win in the first leg against Schalke in Gelsenkichen saw them squeeze into the last eight 5-4 on aggregate.
Ronaldo’s header in the 25th minute from a corner by Tony Kroos cancelling out an opener for the Germans by Christian Fuchs five minutes earlier.
That equalled Raul’s record of 77, and then, after Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had restored Schalke’s lead, Ronaldo equalised for a second time with another header just before the break, with his 78th European goal in all.
Also through to the last eight are FC Porto, who advanced at the expense of Swiss club Basle, 5-1 on aggregate and 4-0 on the night.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain defender David Luiz apologised for his celebration after his goal helped to eliminate former club Chelsea in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.
Luiz left Chelsea last year in a record £50 million transfer for a defender and he returned to haunt Stamford Bridge as PSG went through on away goals following a 3-3 aggregate draw.
The 27-year-old celebrated with wild abandon after his goal, an emphatic 86th-minute header, took the tie to extra-time, but later apologised for any hurt he had inflicted upon the fans of his former club.
“Tonight was good for me to score,” he told Sky Sports. “I said I wouldn’t celebrate, but my emotions I couldn’t control. Thank you to Chelsea and sorry I celebrated because I was so emotional.
“It is amazing for everyone, amazing for Paris the club, for Paris the city. We did a great game. We tried to win the game.
“I am happy to be in the next round, but we have a long way to go to win the Champions League. We have to keep our feet on the floor.”
PSG had Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent off for a first-half foul on Oscar and fell behind to an 81st-minute Gary Cahill strike, but Luiz’s equaliser kept the tie alive.
Eden Hazard restored Chelsea’s lead with a penalty after Thiago Silva had been penalised for handball, but the PSG captain atoned with a late looping header that sent the French champions into the quarter-finals. — AFP.
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