FC Barcelona thrashed Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night.
Inigo Martinez, Fermin Lopez and Raphinha earned a recall and replaced Ronald Araujo, Gavi and Ferran Torres in the Blaugrana starting line-up.
Hansi Flick’s men were ahead on the half-hour mark when a curling free-kick to the back-post rolled across the area for Raphinha to tap over the goal-line.
Polish strikr Robert Lewandowski extended the lead two minutes in the second half with a looping header in the box from a cutback by Raphinha.
Lewandowski added a second goal in the closing stages with a potent finish from inside the six-yard box after pouncing on a square pass from Lopez.
Dortmund were put to shreds once more when Lamine Yamal latched onto a pass from Raphinha and dinked past goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
It will be a tall-order for the Black and Yellow in the second-leg, as the LaLiga leaders have one foot in semi-finals.
Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Aston Villa
Paris Saint-Germain recorded a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa in the first-leg of their quarter-final on Wednesday night.
Ezri Konsa, Boubacar Kamara and Marcus Rashford were recalled by Villa, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and rising star Desire Doue started up top for the hosts.
Villa stunned the newly-crowned French champions when Morgan Rodgers tapped in at the near post of the six-yard box following a pin-point pass from Youri Tielemans.
The lead didn’t last too long though as the host replied in astounding fashion where Doue came short to the area and cut inside to curl into the top corner.
Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez came good minutes later and denied the host a second with a dramatic clearance from the goal-line.
However, Martinez was beaten hands down five minutes in the second half after Kvaratskhelia showed deft footwork on the wing to blast into the top corner.
Villa’s evening was compounded in added time when Nuno Mendes made a late run in the box to beat Martinez with ease.
