Paris Saint-Germain took a significant step toward the Champions League semifinals with a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa in the first leg of their quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday.
After Morgan Rogers gave Villa the lead in the 35th minute, Désiré Doué equalized for PSG just four minutes later with a brilliant curling shot. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia then put PSG ahead four minutes after halftime with a stunning individual effort, sprinting from the halfway line before blasting an unstoppable shot over goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.
Nuno Mendes sealed the win for PSG by adding a third goal in stoppage time. The return leg will be played next Tuesday at Villa Park.
The Georgian winger Kvaratskhelia, who joined PSG in the January transfer window for €70 million, displayed the skills that earned him the nickname \"Kvaradona\" during his time at Napoli.
\"For a coach like me it\'s so great to have a player like [Kvaratskhelia], with his mentality. He scored a brilliant goal,\" PSG coach Luis Enrique said. \"We tried to sign him last summer and it didn\'t work out. We signed him [in January] when we didn\'t really expect to. He\'s got everything to be part of our project.\"
\"I think the result reflects the difference between us and them,\" Luis Enrique added. \"Our objective is to keep the ball and be aggressive in attack.\"
Via ESPN