Here’s what happened in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, in case you missed it…
The results
Watch match highlights: Chelsea 2, Paris Saint-Germain 0 | Borussia Dortmund 2, Real Madrid 0
Read match reports: Chelsea eliminates PSG to move on | Real Madrid loses, still reaches semis
Thoughts on the day
Valiant efforts by the home sides: Few pundits gave Borussia Dortmund (down 3-0 after the first leg) and Chelsea (facing a 3-1 deficit) much chance of overturning their opponents in Tuesday’s return matches—even with Dortmund and Chelsea playing at home. But both sides put forth valiant efforts on the day and were deserved winners.
Chelsea lost the influential Eden Hazard early in the game through injury, and with the Blues in need of two goals, their hopes looked slim. But Andre Schurrle was magnificent when he came on in place for Hazard, revitalizing Chelsea with his probing runs, smart link up play and deft touch on the ball. His first half-goal gave the London club hope, and he nearly bagged a second when he rattled one off the crossbar in the second half. Chelsea’s self belief and “game management” were the deciding factors on the night, with Jose Mourinho’s substitute selections of Schurrle and Demba Ba (who netted the later winner as Stamford Bridge exploded) proved especially astute.
As for Dortmund, they looked dead and buried when Angel Di Maria stepped up to the penalty spot in the 17th minute. Had he scored, the series would have been over—there’s no way the Germans would come back from a 4-0 deficit. But Roman Weidenfeller denied Di Maria, setting the stage for an incredible Dortmund comeback—buoyed by the magnificent Marco Reus—that fell just short. Iker Casillas had to make a number of saves for Real Madrid (who kept Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench), and had the game lasted 10 more minutes the Spaniards would have been done—they were hanging on for dear life at the end. Jurgen Klopp’s side lost the tie, but they had nothing to be ashamed of this night—they played with pride and passion, displaying a work ethic that would be the envy of any manager.
Cavani’s missed opportunity: With Zlatan Ibrahimovic missing through injury, PSG manager Laurent Blanc shifted Edinson Cavani from his usual spot on the right side to the point of attack in his 4-3-3 formation. This was an opportunity for the Uruguay star to shine in his natural position, and remind critics of his class and that PSG is a lot more than just the “Super Swede.” He needed to have a big game at Stamford Bridge, especially in light of Chelsea’s stellar European record at home.
But the former Napoli and Palermo star failed to make an impact, and was disappointing. Twice he was played into dangerous scoring positions in the second half, one off a brilliant diagonal ball from Yohan Cabaye. He could have put the series away had he scored on either chance. Instead, he fired over the crossbar both times. With his team down 1-0 and in desperate need of a goal to stem the tide of Chelsea momentum, Cavani couldn’t even test the goalkeeper. Shocking from a player of Cavani’s calibre, but par for the course from the Uruguay forward on the night.
Chelsea, Real Madrid advance after close calls
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Stat of the day
7 – Chelsea have now reached the Champions League semi-finals in seven of the last 11 seasons. Pedigree.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 8, 2014
Goal of the day
Andre Schurrle’s opening goal sent Chelsea on its way. David Luiz cleverly flicked the ball off a throw-in into the middle of the box where an unmarked Schurrle coolly slotted it home
Save of the day
Roman Weidenfeller’s stop on Angel Di Maria’s penalty kick had the biggest impact. But for sheer athleticism, Salvatore Sirigu’s save on Frank Lampard’s free-kick from the wing—it took a deflection and forced the Italian to change directions—was outstanding.
Question of the day
[polldaddy poll=7953303]
Tweet of the day
Ronaldo having kittens on the bench.
— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) April 8, 2014
3 stars
1) Marco Reus: The German international had an outstanding game, bagging both goals and leading a vibrant and attacking Dortmund side that gave Real Madrid fits.
2) Andre Schurrle: Like Reus, Cheslea’s German star had a big influence on the game, scoring one goal and serving as the creative spark after Eden Hazard left.
3) Mats Hummels: The Dortmund defender made a number of timely tackles and key interventions, and also lent his support to the attack and nearly scored.
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