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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia found the back of the net twice, leading Paris Saint-Germain to a 5-2 victory over Chelsea in the opening match of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 showdown, taking advantage of late lapses from the opposing team.
Despite Chelsea’s efforts to claw back and even the score at 2-2, a critical error by their goalkeeper, Filip Jorgensen, set off a late unraveling, leaving the London team with a steep hill to climb for the second leg of the tie.
The Blues displayed resilience throughout the match, even after conceding early to a powerful strike from Bradley Barcola, who capitalized on a deflected cross from Ousmane Dembele.
Jorgensen error proves decisive
Jorgensen redeemed himself temporarily with an impressive save, deflecting another Dembele attempt onto the post. Chelsea managed to respond as Malo Gusto confidently slotted home, thanks to a precise setup by Enzo Fernandez.
Jorgensen later produced a fine save to tip Dembele’s effort onto the post, but Chelsea responded through Malo Gusto, who finished confidently after being set up by Enzo Fernandez.
PSG quickly regained the lead when Dembele raced past Wesley Fofana and calmly finished after an impressive midfield move initiated by Desire Doue.
Chelsea equalised again in the second half when Fernandez converted from close range after Pedro Neto robbed Doue of possession and delivered a low cross.
Kvaratskhelia seals emphatic PSG victory
The game turned decisively when Jorgensen misplaced a pass straight to Barcola, allowing Vitinha to lob the stranded goalkeeper and restore PSG’s advantage.
Moments later, substitute Kvaratskhelia produced a moment of brilliance, curling an unstoppable effort from the edge of the box.
The Georgian winger then completed his brace with a composed side-footed finish deep into stoppage time to make it 5-2 and put the European champions firmly in control of the tie.
Chelsea must now overturn a three-goal deficit when they host PSG in the second leg at Stamford Bridge next Tuesday.