Five-star PSG earn first leg advantage against Chelsea in seven-goal thriller

[p]In a repeat of last year’s Club World Cup final, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]PSG[/a] looked determined to avenge that defeat and start on the front foot against Liam Rosenior’s men.[/p][p][b]It was a high-octane opening 10 minutes at the Parc des Princes, and after both sides missed a couple of half-chances, the Parisians broke the deadlock when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/neves-joao/hCbYVsXQ/"]Joao Neves[/a]’ cushioned header at the back post was clinically fired home by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barcola-bradley/lhGD3RgS/"]Bradley Barcola[/a] via the underside of the bar. [/b][/p][p]The hosts went in pursuit of a quickfire second, and they came within inches of doubling their lead, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dembele-ousmane/zsMC2Ec0/"]Ousmane Dembele[/a]’s powerful strike was parried onto the post by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jorgensen-filip/OSueaqvP/"]Filip Jorgensen[/a].[/p][p]Grateful for that narrow reprieve, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] responded with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/neto-pedro/lxtnUkIP/"]Pedro Neto[/a] seeing a dangerous cutback saved by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/safonov-matvey/zJF3W9Rq/"]Matvey Safonov[/a], while at the other end, Jorgensen reacted superbly to thwart a curled effort from Barcola.[/p][p][b]The visitors continued to improve as the first half progressed, and their pressure paid dividends when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandez-enzo/nZnbEVWP/"]Enzo Fernandez[/a]’s cross-field pass picked out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gusto-malo/YNCrLSO2/"]Malo Gusto[/a], who drove a smart finish through the body of Safonov to restore parity. [/b][/p][p][b]The end-to-end nature of the contest showed no signs of slowing down with half-time approaching, and Dembele duly broke on the counter before finishing expertly beyond Jorgensen to put PSG back in front - just a mere 15 seconds after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palmer-cole/h8agbDt7/"]Cole Palmer[/a] had missed a glorious opportunity himself.[/b][/p][image alt="PSG - Chelsea match stats" id="51d56381-dbec-4ac2-aea4-52b6a18fda3c" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="1728f948-52e4-42eb-af12-5e084ab0cc15" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b]Chelsea were hoping to stretch a six-game winning run against French opposition in the UCL, and they looked to up the ante at the start of the second period. Rosenior’s side remained a threat in the final third, and an equaliser soon arrived in the 57th minute when a superb run and cross from Neto was clinically dispatched by Fernandez for his 12th goal of the season.[/b][/p][image alt="Enzo Fernandez's goal for Chelsea" id="8c735a7e-ca44-44dd-b0f8-979124680ba2" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform / Stephane Mahe / Reuters" guid="3254b6a0-f444-477c-b5f6-4a85bbcbb864" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]That set up a fascinating final half-hour in the French capital, with PSG boss Luis Enrique calling on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lee-kangin/YTVIJfxO/"]Lee Kang-In[/a] from the hosts’ bench. [/p][p][b]Kvaratskhelia was heavily involved as the Parisians went ahead for the third time of the night, as the Georgian unselfishly set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vitinha/Sz9SH7zj/"]Vitinha[/a] for a sublime lobbed finish after a calamitous mistake from Jörgensen in the Blues’ goal.[/b][/p][p]Chelsea thought they’d drawn level once again when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joao-pedro/CAmJERl2/"]Joao Pedro[/a] tucked home from close range, only for the Brazilian to be denied by the offside flag.[/p][p][b]Those fine margins proved to be costly, with PSG adding a fourth goal in the 86th minute through super-sub Kvaratskhelia, who cut inside from the left flank and curled a spectacular finish into the far corner to send the Parc des Princes into bedlam. [/b][/p][p][b]The visitors looked shell-shocked by that goal, and PSG capitalised by adding a fifth in the final minute of stoppage time, with Kvaratskhelia finding himself in the right place at the right time to finish from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hakimi-achraf/MqFBkBsp/"]Achraf Hakimi[/a]’s cross to give Enrique’s men a commanding first-leg advantage.[/b][/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kvaratskhelia-khvicha/bNuGt0hE/"]Khvicha Kvaratskhelia[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris Saint-Germain[/a])[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/chelsea-4fGZN2oK/psg-CjhkPw0k/summary/stats/?mid=vZbdkoWs"]Check out all the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/p]