LONDON: Ezequiel Lavezzi scored in the 10th minute and Javier Pastore in the 43rd, giving Paris Saint-Germain a 2-1 win at Valencia on Tuesday night as the European Champions League’s last 16 first leg began.
Valencia’s Adil Rami scored off a free kick from Tino Costa in the 90th. PSG star Zlatan Ibrahimovic was given a red card during injury time for a challenge on Andres Guardado and will be suspended for the second leg of the total-goals series in Paris on March 6.
At Glasgow, Juventus defeated Celtic 3-0 after errors by defender Efe Ambrose led to goals by Alessandro Matri in the third minute and Mirko Vucinic in the 83rd. Claudio Marchisio scored for the Italian champions in the 77th.
Paris Saint Germain’s 2-1 Champions League win at Valencia is proof that the big-spending Ligue 1 club have become a force in Europe but they should not get carried away, according to director of football Leonardo.
PSG produced an efficient performance full of attacking verve in the last-16 first leg at the Mestalla but the gloss was taken off the victory in the final minutes when they conceded a goal and had Ibrahimovic sent off.
Even without the talismanic Sweden striker for the second leg in Paris on March 6 the Qatar-backed French side will be firm favorites to progress to the last eight for the first time since they lost to AC Milan in the semifinals in 1994-95.
“I think that we sent a strong message,” Leonardo said.
“We should not forget where we have come from, where we were a year-and-a-half ago,” added the Brazilian, who played 71 games for Valencia between 1991 and 1993, scoring six goals.
“But building a team which shows this level of confidence and calm going to Valencia is a sign that we are in good shape in this competition,” he said.
“Of course, the last five minutes were not ideal but today I think we achieved an historic victory.”
Valencia had won all eight of their European home games against French opposition before PSG’s visit and were unbeaten in nine Champions League matches at the Mestalla since a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in September 2010.
PSG have spent around 250 million euros ($337 million) in the transfer market in the past four seasons and the quality of players such as goalscorers Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore and pacy midfielder Lucas was the difference between the sides.
Ambrose was part of the Nigeria team which triumphed in South Africa but he was at fault for Juve’s third minute opener by Alessandro Matri, missed a key chance at 1-0 in the second period and faded badly as the Italians raced away.
Claudio Marchisio and Mirko Vucinic netted after 77 and 83 minutes with Ambrose floundering to all but put the twice European champions into the quarter-finals with Celtic facing a monumental task in Turin in the second leg on March 6.
“I think the scoreline flatters Juventus. I thought for the best part of the game, for the first 70 minutes until the second goal, we were by far the better side but you can’t give away sloppy goals like that,” Celtic manager Neil Lennon told ITV.
“(Ambrose) was poor for the first goal. We’ve switched off defensively for the second goal and the third goal was poor.
“We need a miracle. That’s the harsh reality of Champions League football.”
The Scottish champions did beat mighty Barcelona at home in the group stage but even those heroics will pale by comparison if they somehow knock out the Italian title holders and league leaders.
A rugged Juve had to fight in the first half against a fast and furious British pace they are not used to in the more leisurely Serie A and jubilant goalscorer Marchisio was already looking past the second leg.
“Tonight we have given out an important signal. The result was crucial because it allows us to concentrate on the domestic league,” he told Mediaset television.
Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon had tried to play down the impact of Celtic’s famously noisy fans ahead of the match but even the coolest of Italians would have struggled not to have been affected by the almost 60,000 screaming home supporters.
Almost all of the Celtic fans stood with scarves aloft and sang a stirring rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” before kickoff but soon they were cursing their luck after Ambrose’s feelgood factor from Nigeria’s title win quickly evaporated.
The center back got caught out by a ball played over the top of the defense and Matri easily outmuscled him before prodding it between goalkeeper Fraser Forster’s legs.
Wilson ran back to hook it away and although the ball had already just crossed the line, Marchisio fired home the clearance just in case.
That was the only real chance Juve had in the first half as they were then forced to withstand a Celtic onslaught.
Commons was just wide with an overhead kick in the pick of their chances while midfielder Victor Wanyama also twice went close as Celtic looked to storm back and win like they did 4-3 in their last home meeting with Juve in 2001.