Champions League: PSG, Atletico Madrid clinch decisive first leg advantage after dominant wins

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid seized decisive first-leg advantages in the Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday (April 8), as both registered vital wins. Playing in their respective matches, PSG beat Liverpool 2-0 at home and will face the Reds at Anfield next Tuesday, while Atletico Madrid also won by the same margin at the Camp Nou to take one step toward the Champions League semifinals.

PSG take decisive lead

Desire Doue's shot in the 11th minute looped over goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and thanks to a big touch off Ryan Gravenberch and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, he then rounded his compatriot to double PSG's lead 65 minutes into a game they bossed from start to finish.

It only remains to be seen whether the reigning European champions –- who had a second-half penalty in their favour overturned after a VAR review -- might regret not scoring more goals against a Liverpool side who lined up with three centre-backs, an extreme rarity for them under Arne Slot, and were run ragged.

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The game plan could not stop the Reds slumping to a second emphatic loss in five days, even if the scoreline was not as bad as the 4-0 mauling inflicted by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals last weekend.

It is just one win in six games in all competitions now for Liverpool, and this was a 16th reverse in total in a difficult campaign. Slot's team must now try to repeat what they did in the last 16, when they overturned a 1-0 first-leg loss away to Galatasaray by winning 4-0 in the return. This will be a far tougher task than that, however, as the sides clash again next Tuesday on Merseyside, where PSG won 1-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie last season before advancing on penalties.

That was a big step on their way to winning the Champions League for the first time, and came after they somehow lost 1-0 at the Parc des Princes despite completely dominating. A string of Alisson Becker saves helped Liverpool smash and grab their way to victory a year ago, but the Brazilian was absent here, meaning Mamardashvili started in goal for the visitors.

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Atletico Madrid take 2-0 lead

Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth's goals earned Atletico Madrid a commanding 2-0 lead over 10-man Barcelona in a tense Champions League quarter-final first leg clash on Wednesday. The La Liga leaders were on top in the all-Spanish tie at Camp Nou before Pau Cubarsi was sent off for bringing down Atletico's Giuliano Simeone, who was through on goal. Alvarez whipped home the free-kick and Sorloth doubled their advantage with 20 minutes remaining to give Atletico a strong chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Diego Simeone's side, who have never won the competition, reached the 2014 and 2016 finals but were beaten by rivals Real Madrid on both occasions.