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CL PHOTOS: Barca snap PSG's unbeaten streak; Porto stun Bayern

April 16, 2015 10:14 IST

Neymar of Barcelona celebrates scoring the opening goal with Lionel Messi. Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty Images

Barcelona took a big step towards the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday as a goal from Neymar and a Luis Suarez double ended Paris St Germain's 33-game unbeaten home run in Europe with a 3-1 win at the Parc des Princes.

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PSG, who were without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, suspended for one game after picking up a red card in the last-16 second leg at Chelsea, fell behind when Neymar netted from close range at the end of a quick counter attack in the 18th minute.

Suarez doubled the tally in the 67th after slaloming through the PSG defence, who lost captain Thiago Silva to a possible hamstring injury after 21 minutes, and wrapped it up 11 minutes from time with a curling shot into the top corner.

The hosts reduced the deficit in the 82nd minute when Jeremy Mathieu deflected Gregory van der Wiel's shot into his own goal as PSG suffered their first loss at home in Europe since 2006 ahead of the return leg at the Nou Camp next Tuesday.

Neymar of Barcelona and David Luiz of PSG battle for the ball. Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty Images

In the absence of the injured Thiago Motta and the suspended Marco Verratti, Yohan Cabaye and Adrien Rabiot were fielded alongside Blaise Matuidi in the PSG midfield and the trio's collective lack of Champions League experience showed.

PSG started confidently with the classy Javier Pastore delighting the crowd with delicate twists and turns, but after 18 minutes, the home side were 1-0 down and they had lost centre back Silva.

Lionel Messi almost opened the scoring in the 13th minute when his beautifully curled shot from just outside the area smashed Salvatore Sirigu's right post, but he was more accurate seven minutes later when he set up Neymar for the opener.

Rabiot lost the ball near the touchline to Sergio Busquets, who found Messi in midfield. The Argentine played Neymar through and the Brazil striker coolly finished from close range.

Quaresma's early double helps Porto stun Bayern 3-1

Ricardo Quaresma, centre, of FC Porto scores. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Ricardo Quaresma's two early goals and a second-half strike from Jackson Martinez helped a slick Porto complete a stunning 3-1 home victory over a sloppy Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.

The Portuguese side exploded into action with two goals in the opening 10 minutes, with Quaresma converting from the penalty spot and finishing neatly as Bayern's sluggish defending was punished.

Five-times champions Bayern, decimated by injuries, clawed their way back into the tie when midfielder Thiago Alcantara steered home at the far post after 28 minutes.

But Martinez pounced on an error by Jerome Boateng after 65 minutes and rounded Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer to re-establish Porto's two-goal advantage heading into the return leg on April 21.

Bayern came into the game, a repeat of the 1987 European Cup final which Porto won 2-1, ravaged by injuries and robbed of the services of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger and David Alaba among others.

It was, however, a different story for Porto, who welcomed back Martinez from a hamstring injury. The Colombia striker wasted little time in making his mark, robbing a dawdling Xabi Alonso of the ball on the edge of the Bayern box before being felled by Neuer's outstretched leg.

The Bayern keeper was perhaps lucky to receive just a yellow card, but his punishment was swiftly increased as Quaresma stepped up to stroke the penalty into the bottom corner.

There was no time for the visitors' nerves to settle as Quaresma pounced on another mistake, robbing Dante before dashing through and beating Neuer with an expertly-taken finish with the outside of his boot to make it 2-0 after 10 minutes.

Source: REUTERS
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