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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Sport
Paul Myers

PSG draw with Monaco to advance to Champions League last 16

Paris Saint-Germain skipper Marquinhos scored his side's opening goal in the 2-2 draw with Monaco that took PSG into the last-16 of the Champions League. AFP - FRANCK FIFE

Paris Saint-Germain advanced to the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday night, following a 2-2 draw with Monaco at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

The defending champions progressed 5-4 on aggregate and for the second time in the two-leg play-off for a place in the last 16, they had to come from behind to set up the platform for victory.

In the first leg on 17 February at the Stade Louis, PSG overturned a two-goal deficit to win 3-2.

Before the second leg, the PSG boss Luis Enrique urged his players not to believe they could nurse their slender advantage.

They heeded his counsel. But despite dominating possession, they failed to breach the Monaco rearguard.

On the stroke of half time, Maghnes Akliouche brought the tie level on aggregate when he slotted past the PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov.

But 10 minutes after the pause, Monaco went into meltdown.

Mamadou Coulibaly, who had set up the equaliser, was booked twice in three minutes for fouls on Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi and sent off.

On the hour mark, Monaco were made to pay their lack of discipline. PSG skipper Marquinhos stabbed in the equaliser on the night to restore PSG's aggregate advantage.

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And Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added PSG's second after 66 minutes.

Jordan Teze scored Monaco's equaliser in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to inject some late jeopardy but PSG held on to continue the defence of their crown.

Elsewhere on Wednesday night, Atalanta moved on at the expense of Borussia Dortmund.

The Bundesliga outfit started the tie at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo 2-0 up.

But the hosts swept into a 3-0 lead with goals from Gianluca Scamacca, Davide Zappacosta and Mario Pasalic.

Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi nudged his side level on aggregate in the 75th minute.

But a furious finale in which referee Jose Sanchez dismissed two Dortmund players and Atalanta's Giorgio Scalvini ended with Lazar Samardzic converting a penalty for Atalanta to take the spoils 4-3 on aggregate.

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Real Madrid dispatched Benfica 3-1 on aggregate.

The Portuguese side played the second leg without their Argentine striker Gianluca Prestianni after tournament organisers Uefa banned him over allegations that he racially abused the Madrid striker Vinicius Junior during the first leg in Lisbon.

Rafa Silva scored for Benfica in the 14th minute at the Santiago Bernabeu to level the aggregate score.

But France international Aurélien Tchouaméni equalised to restore Madrid's supremacy.

Vinicius added Madrid's second 10 minutes from time.

On Tuesday night, the Norwegian champions Bodoe/Glimt advanced to the last-16 for the first time after beating Inter Milan 5-2 on aggregate. They were joined by Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.

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