Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski help Barca to big Champions League quarter-final first-leg win
Baku, April 10, AZERTAC
Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski played starring roles to help Barcelona to a commanding 4-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, according to Sky Sports.
Lewandowski scored twice and Raphinha had a goal and an assist, leaving the Catalan club in a strong position to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2019.
Lamine Yamal also scored as Barcelona dealt a commanding blow to the German side's hopes of advancing.
Raphinha added to his Champions League-leading tally by poking the ball into the open net in the 25th minute for his 12th goal in the competition this season, before setting up Lewandowski's first goal of the night three minutes after half-time.
Lewandowski then netted his 11th Champions League goal with a first-time effort midway through the second half, before Yamal completed the scoring.
Meanwhile, Nuno Mendes scored a damaging third goal in the 92nd minute to give Paris Saint-Germain a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Villa were seconds away from escaping Paris with only a one-goal deficit having been battered by the Ligue 1 champions, who racked up 29 shots and forced Emi Martinez into seven saves.
Morgan Rogers had put the visitors ahead against the run of play in the first half before PSG wingers Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia turned the tie around with unstoppable efforts either side of half-time, but Mendes' added-time strike leaves Unai Emery's side with it all to do at Villa Park.
PSG dominated from the start as Villa completed only 18 passes inside the opening 15 minutes yet they survived the early onslaught and took a shock lead in the 35th minute.
John McGinn stole the ball off left-back Mendes and drove into the PSG half, sweeping a pass out to Marcus Rashford on the left. He slipped in the overlapping Youri Tielemans to square for Rogers to tap in at the back post.
PSG responded by forcing Martinez to push Doue's shot onto the left post but he could do nothing about the teenager's next effort.
The 17-year-old cut inside from the left and bent a superb curling shot that clipped the underside of the crossbar before it crashed into the right corner of the net.
Martinez had to save again from Doue before the half was finished before PSG made their dominance count four minutes after the break. Kvaratskhelia turned half-time substitute Axel Disasi inside out before slamming a shot into the roof of the net.
Villa, though, were unable to prevent further damage from being done as Ousmane Dembele slipped in Mendes, who sat down Ezri Konsa and Martinez before slotting into an empty net.
