Paris Saint-Germain have put one foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 4-0 thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.
The away side got off to the perfect start when Blaise Matuidi opened the scoring in the third minute, then added to it through two goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
His first was from the penalty spot before he rifled a left-footer into the top corner just before the break. In the second half a goal from Yohan Cabaye made it 4-0 and an easy PSG win.
Read how the action unfolded below.
Hello Champions League fans! It's time for the last 16 and the business end of the tournament. We have a battle between the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, as Leverkusen take on PSG in their first leg.
Leverkusen have never been beaten in a European competition by a French side, so PSG will be looking to make that statistic change. Certainly Bayer must improve on their recent league form if they are to get past a very strong Ligue 1 outfit. It's certainly set up to be close, I'd have thought.
Bayer are not perennial appearers in the latter stages of the Champions League. Indeed, the last time they made it past the last 16 stage was in 2002, when they were beaten finalists. They have shown plenty this season to suggest that they can upset a number of teams, but the distance that Bayern Munich are ahead in the Bundesliga does make it seem that the rest of Germany are not quite up to the same standard.
So, let's have a look at the two teams shall we? It will be after that point that I make my prediction, of course...
BAYER XI: Leno; Hilbert, Spahic, Toprak, Guardado; Bender, Rolfes, Castro; Sam, Kiessling, Son
PSG XI: Sirigu; Van der Wiel, Silva, Alex, Maxwell; Motta, Matuidi, Verratti; Lucas, Ibrahimovic, Lavezzi
So it's about as strong as you can expect from Bayer there. Sidney Sam comes into the team having not played at the weekend against Schalke, the team he will be joining in the summer. Stefan Kiessling leads the line and a lot will be expected of him in this one. He will need to be in form if Alex and Thiago Silva are not to gobble him up.
A blow for Sami Hyypia will be the loss of Emre Can through suspension, who has played well for much of this season. Up against Hyypia's back line will be Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Lucas Moura. Not too hard, then!
A little over 15 minutes remain then, it's time for my prediction I think. As much as I like a lot of the players in this Bayer team I just can't see beyond PSG over the two legs. I think they'll definitely get an away goal and I fancy them keeping it to 1-1 here at the BayArena.
A look at the odds tell us that PSG are the favourites for this one tonight, and I can see why with that firepower, even without Edinson Cavani. They are around 6/5, while a home win would see you almost treble your money. If you fancy a quick improvement in form from the German team then those odds do look generous.
Bayer, who are clinging on to second in the Bundesliga, have lost four of their last six games in the league. They looked to have improved in the last couple of weeks, but failed to impress again in the recent defeat to Schalke. The main problem is that they just aren't scoring enough goals. I'm not sure Kiessling is the top level striker Champions League teams require.
Five minutes to go until kickoff then. There's something so special about a Champions League night. With the floodlights on and the theme tune blaring you just know you're in for the best football that you can see.
A reminder before we kick off, that there is actually another game tonight... The small matter of Manchester City against Barcelona, no less. If you want to keep track of that one you can head over to our live commentary of that one. Clicky. Do come back to me, though.
KICKOFF: We're underway here then. Should be a belter!
GOAL! Leverkusen 0-1 PSG (Blaise Matuidi)
Really good run from Matuidi, although Rolfes lets him by a little easily. The ball is played in to Matuidi, who had beaten the offside trap and slots it past Leno. The keeper might have done better there, too. Perfect start for PSG.
BOOKING: Matuidi then goes into the book for a sliding tackle, but I wouldn't say that was worthy of a yellow. That could be a dangerous precedent from the referee there.
Quick feet by Lucas there. Too quick for Spahic, who brings him down and this free kick is in Zlatan range. He can't wait to hit this, you can tell...
Awful. That's not the sort of shot that has made Ibrahimovic one of the most exciting players to watch. He drills his shot straight into the bottom of the wall and Leverkusen survive. That early goal has flattened the home crowd somewhat.
That's a bit better from the hosts there. A cross came on from Guardado, which was only partially cleared and Sam on the snap-shot fired a shot over. Difficult chance, but that was Bayer's longest spell of possession so far.
CHANCE! Oh dear Leno! He makes a hash of a cross and only manages to palm it out to Ibrahimovic. The big Swede shot on the volley but it hit a defender at point-blank range, I think Toprak. He'll want to have scored there, I think.
Laurent Blanc's side are in control of the ball at the moment, although they're not being worked hard enough as Leverkusen are not pressing too high up. They do counter-attack, Hyypia's men, but with an away goal already conceded I'm not sure they can keep this up for too long without needing to attack.
BOOKING: Hilbert is the next to go into the book when he goes through Zlatan from behind. Nothing malicious there, but again the referee has to continue booking such tackles no. Lavezzi was in a great spot there had he been found by the Swede.
Sam is brought down on the right by Maxwell, who had blocked him off a bit. Castro has his first chance to swing the ball in here, and it goes through to Kiessling but his header goes into the ground and is then tipped over. Kiessling was offside, though.
Good spell of possession here for the hosts, with Bender and Castro heavily involved. The first move breaks down before Sam gets it back, but Matuidi then nips in to pinch it back for PSG. They're defending very well the visitors.
It's opened up a little here. Spahic pips the ball from Ibrahimovic as the Swede shaped to shoot, but his pass forward to Kiessling was awful. The players need a lift, the crowd needs a lift - Catch 22 at the moment.
Bayer are camped in the PSG half at the moment, but they haven't had a genuine chance as yet. Hilbert does well down the right to work space for a cross, but it just doesn't quite fall kindly for Kiessling.
Kissling is not having his best game so far. He's muscled off the ball a bit easily there but gets it back and the second time his attempted one-two is picked off by Verratti. This wall of white is hard for the hosts to get through at the moment.
Ibrahimovic's movement so far has been excellent. He's made himself known to all four of the Bayer defenders so far and off the ball he's drifting waiting for the ball to feet. It's a very deliberate game plan from the French side and they've had it bang on so far.
Leverkusen's play is a little bit one-dimensional at the moment. They're seeing a lot more of the ball now, but their play either ends with crosses being defended or - in the case of Spahic just then - shots from range. That one was straight at Sirigu from some 30 yards out.
Almost a very good run from Lavezzi there. Ibra holds up the ball and finds the Argentinian with the outside of his boot, before Lavezzi turns on the turbo and goes by two players. However, he's crowded out in the end and the hosts pass it back to Leno who clears.
PENALTY TO PSG!
GOAL! Leverkusen 0-2 PSG (Zlatan Ibrahimovic, pen)
The referee has spotted a tug on the shirt of Lavezzi by Spahic, who then goes into the book. I didn't notice anything at first but can see why it was given. All that's irrelevant now, though, as Zlatan fires the penalty into the bottom corner to already put one through into the quarter-finals.
GOAL! Leverkusen 0-3 PSG (Zlatan Ibrahimovic)
Woof! What else can you say? Matuidi holds up the ball in the box really well, before laying it off to Ibrahimovic. Who said he has a weaker foot? He's rifled an effort from the left side of the box into the far corner. Unstoppable. What a player.
Bayer have a huge task now just to make this tie respectable. It's probably over already and with Ibra already on two who would bet against a hat-trick from the big man?
HALF-TIME: Leverkusen 0-3 PSG
Well I never. Whistles ring out at the BayArena after the half-time whistle is blown. The home fans have seen their team well and truly outclassed so far. The difference? Zlatan. And what a difference that is to have.
PSG have not been dominant in that they haven't camped in the Bayer half the whole game. Rather they have picked their time to attack and have been clinical in front of goal to take their chances. Bayer haven't been able to get through.
They've been clinical, but they have also had a heap of luck with the penalty award. Spahic was adjudged to have brought down Lavezzi, but the tug was marginal at best. It was a brilliant penalty, but it was a kick in the teeth for Bayer who were just about getting back in it.
What can you say about the third, though? It was Zlatan at his finest and the fact that he can score any type of goal is the reason why he's currently at the top of the scoring charts in the Champions League. He rifled into the top corner from outside the box and somehow managed to bend it away from Leno when it should have gone from right to left. Astonishing.
UPDATE: There's another last 16 happening tonight: Manchester City vs. Barcelona. Currently that one is 0-0.
KICKOFF: The hosts get us back underway. Stefan Reinartz is on at the break as well as Julian Brandt. It's Rolfes and Son who made way.
BOOKING: Guardado finds himself carded after clinging on to Lucas as the Brazilian spun past him. That's as clear a yellow you're likely to see this month.
Lavezzi is down holding his knee after pipping Reinartz to the ball. There was no need to make a fuss out of it, though, but he did manage to get the German side to clear into touch which allowed his side to regroup. Silva has had the better of Kiessling all night long, and wins a free kick there when the German leant on him.
Good defending from Matuidi as Leverksen up the tempo a little bit. Sam turns in the box but just as he shoots the midfielder is across to block it over the bar for a corner.
The tempo has slowed down a little now and things are getting a little scrappy in the midfield, particularly from Leverkusen.
RED CARD! Spahic is off! He has an arm across his man on the right and although his first yellow was soft you can't do that when already booked. Castro is also shown a yellow for good measure.
BAYER SUB: On comes a new centre-back Philipp Wollscheid. Sam is the player to make way and if the hosts were unlikely to score before then they have very little chance now. PSG are just passing it around comfortably at the moment.
Ibra almost gets through somehow, with one of the scrappiest runs you'll see. In the end Leno comes out to gather at his feet, but that wouldn't have been in Zlatan's top 50 goals I wouldn't have thought.
GOAL DISALLOWED! The visitors have the ball in the net but it's ruled out for what I can only believe is for sympathy. Matuidi's shot hits Leno then Wollscheid but is ruled out because Lavezzi was standing offside. He wasn't interfering...
In the other game at the Etihad, Barcelona are leading 1-0 courtesy of a Lionel Messi penalty. Demichelis brought him down and was sent off, so it looks very much like two away wins so today.
It's so easy for PSG now and they can see out this victory with 18 minutes to go. I'd be surprised if they conceded, but certainly not so if they get another. Zlatan still wants his hat-trick, remember.
PSG SUB: Just 15 minutes left an Javier Pastore is on for Lavezzi. Cabaye also came on for Matuidi not long ago.
PSG are pressing and probing and utilising the extra space very well. Bayer haven't really pressed all game long and even less so now with their opponents so comfortable. Hyypia will just have to write off this leg.
There's very little need for PSG to tire themselves out now. If the space opens up they'll play in it, but Cabaye and the centre-backs are seeing the vast majority of the ball at the moment.
SAVE! Really brave goalkeeping there from Leno. Ibrahimovic slips Pastore through with a fine pass, but Leno is alert to close the angle quickly and make the save. He took a stud in his leg for his troubles, too. Good keeping in what is a lost cause.
GOAL! Leverkusen 0-4 PSG (Yohan Cabaye)
That's a really good goal for PSG. Ibrahimovic delays a pass before playing in Maxwell to his left. His cross is initially behind Lucas, but the winger looks up, sees Cabaye behind him and the new signing curls into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Leverkusen will now have to do what no other Champions League side has done - come back from a four-goal deficit in the knockout rounds. The French fans are in excellent voice - and why not, as two minutes are added on.
Great work down the right from Lucas there, who got to the byline but his cross was cut out by Toprak. Cabaye gets on to a cross from Van der Wiel, but heads straight at Leno.
FULL-TIME: Bayer Leverkusen 0-4 PSG
Away Champions League performances do not come better than that. PSG have been clinical and comfortable and barring a disaster of the most unlikely proportions in the return leg will be in the quarter-finals for the second season running.
In the other game, Barcelona scored late on through Dani Alves to take a huge 2-0 win away to Manchester City. Could both ties be over?
Thanks for joining me tonight for this one. We'll be back with more Champions League action tomorrow as well as plenty more sport throughout the week. From here, though, it's goodbye.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
