Moment of Messi magic punctuates PSG thrashing

2 years ago 86

His archetypal extremity was a nonchalant, outside-of-the-foot finish. His 2nd was beauteous overmuch his trademark — accelerated feet extracurricular the country and past a precise curler into the corner.

Lionel Messi kept up his stellar pre-World Cup signifier to assistance rampant Paris Saint-Germain go 1 of 4 teams to beforehand to the past 16 of the Champions League, on with Chelsea, Benfica and Borussia Dortmund.

That’s much than fractional of the circular of 16 lineup confirmed present — 5 clubs had already gone done — and PSG volition beryllium 1 of the teams its rivals are looking to avoid, particularly with Messi successful this mood. Kylian Mbappe, too.

Watch Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe successful the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League, streaming ad-free, unrecorded and exclusive connected Stan Sport

At other ends of their careers, the 2 superstar forwards are tasked with guiding the French champions to a archetypal Champions League rubric and they some scored doubly successful a 7-2 thrashing of Maccabi Haifa.

Neymar, the different subordinate of the team’s stellar attacking trident, besides scored successful a triumph that guaranteed PSG a top-two decorativeness alongside Benfica successful Group H. Both teams are connected 11 points heading into the last round.

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Benfica was a 4-3 victor implicit Juventus, which has failed to scope the knockout signifier for the archetypal clip since the 2013-14 season.

With possibly the champion extremity of the 33 scored successful the next-to-last circular of radical games, Kai Havertz whipped a long-range changeable successful disconnected the crossbar to gain Chelsea a 2-1 triumph astatine Salzburg and a first-place decorativeness successful Group E.

It’s the 18th clip successful 19 group-stage campaigns that Chelsea, a two-time Champions League winner, has advanced. PSG has done truthful for 11 consecutive seasons present but has yet to triumph European soccer’s biggest prize.

Dortmund joined Manchester City successful advancing from Group G aft drafting 0-0 with the English champions, who are present definite to decorativeness successful archetypal place.

Already-qualified Real Madrid, the defending champion, mislaid 3-2 astatine Leipzig and indispensable hold to seal apical spot connected Group F. Leipzig is connected the brink of advancing aft moving 3 points wide of Shakhtar Donetsk, which drew 1-1 astatine Celtic

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