Paris Saint-Germain earned a 2-1 victory over Valencia despite being outplayed throughout.
Valencia dominated possession (69 percent to 31 percent after 45 minutes) but barely tested Paris Saint-Germain goalie Salvatore Sirigu in the first half. Valencia star and Captain Roberto Soldado barely touched the ball throughout the half and when he did get possession, he was rendered useless by the Paris Saint-Germain defense.
Meanwhile, Paris not only looked composed with the ball, but created a number of chances when they did regain possession. Lucas, the right winger, was the star of the game and repeatedly ran past defender Andrés Guardado. He eventually created the winning goal when he cut past three defenders on the right side and passed it to Javier Pastore who one-timed a shot through goalie Vicente Guaita to give Paris a 2-0 lead at the 43rd minute.
Guaita had a tough first half as both of the goals he allowed were saves he should have made. On the first goal, Javier Pastore found an opening to send Ezequiel Lavezzi into the box where he fired the shot past Guaita; the keeper looked like he had a delayed reaction as he barely moved at the incoming blast.
Valencia continued to pressure in the second half, but Paris Saint-Germain remained composed throughout the second half. The Spanish club finally broke through at the 90 minute mark when Adil Rami scored off a free kick set piece. The goal made the score 2-1 and gave Valencia some hope heading into the rematch in Paris on March 6. At the end of the match, PSG superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic was handed a red card.
Valencia can pass to the quarterfinals if it manages to win by two in Paris. PSG can settle for a draw, but must attempt keep the score below two.
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