ShareMane hits hat-trick as Liverpool crush Porto
MADRID: Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) kicks the ball during the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen first leg football match Real Madrid CF against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid yesterday. - AFP
MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid came from behind to stun Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the first leg of their heavyweight Champions League last-16 tie yesterday. Ronaldo scored his 100th Champions League goal for title-holders Real from the penalty spot late in the first half to cancel out Adrien Rabiot's opener for the French side at the Santiago Bernabeu, set up by Neymar. The Portuguese star then turned the ball home from close range with seven minutes left before Marcelo secured what could turn out to be a decisive first-leg lead ahead of the return in Paris on March 6 and sent nearly 80,000 home fans into raptures.
The late collapse for PSG brings back echoes of the way they fell apart to lose 6-1 in Barcelona on their way to a humiliating exit at the same stage of the competition last season. Neymar, in Barcelona's ranks then, could not make the difference for PSG, who now have a huge job on their hands to turn the tie around. Having looked set to come away with a precious draw, the defeat piles the pressure on coach Unai Emery, but for Real the outcome is an enormous boost for their boss Zinedine Zidane.
Real supporters chose an image of a famous fan in Rafael Nadal to adorn a display unfurled at the south end of the ground as the sides came out, hoping their team could draw inspiration from someone who has conquered Paris 10 times as French Open champion.
The hosts started well too, while Neymar struggled, slipping when one pass was aimed towards him, complaining as a Luka Modric challenge sent him to the floor and picking up a yellow card for a foul on Nacho. Ronaldo, meanwhile, saw Alphonse Areola make a fine save from his net-bound shot after he had been released by Marcelo, and not long after that, in the 33rd minute, PSG scored.
Neymar could claim an assist, although it didn't look like the Brazilian meant to help Kylian Mbappe's low ball across the box from the right into the path of Rabiot, who swept home unmarked. PSG had a precious away goal, but they could not hold their lead until the break as Giovani Lo Celso gave away a penalty for a foul on Toni Kroos. Areola, having just made a superb save from Karim Benzema, could do nothing to keep out Ronaldo's spot-kick.
Meanwhile, Sadio Mane scored a brilliant treble as Liverpool romped to a 5-0 thrashing of Porto at the Estadio do Dragao yesterday to march towards the Champions League quarter-finals. Mane fired the away side ahead in the first leg of the last-16 clash, before Mohamed Salah's audacious finish quickly made it two.
The Senegalese forward slotted in his second as Liverpool completely outclassed their opponents, with Roberto Firmino adding his name to the scoresheet with 20 minutes to play, before Mane's searing strike completed his first European hat-trick.
Playing in the last 16 of the competition for the first time in nine years, Liverpool are now all but certain to reach the quarter-finals ahead of the second leg at Anfield on March 6. Jurgen Klopp's men had scored 23 goals in the group stage and continued that scintillating form in Portugal, while the defensive frailties that have plagued them at times this season never resurfaced as Dejan Lovren and Virgil van Dijk put in accomplished displays at the back.
Roared on by the home fans, Porto started brightly and Brazilian midfielder Otavio was denied an early goal by a last-ditch tackle from Lovren. But it didn't take Liverpool long to grow into the game, as left-back Andrew Robertson fired over on his Champions League debut and Ivan Marcano's brave block prevented Firmino from heading in.
Liverpool took total control of the tie just four minutes later as Salah scored his 30th goal of the season in style. James Milner's strike crashed into the post, but the Egyptian star was on hand to flick the ball over the onrushing Sa with a magnificent piece of skill and slot into the net.
The visitors were utterly dominant, but Tiquinho Soares, playing in place of the injured Vincent Aboubakar, fired narrowly wide for Porto on the stroke of half-time. Porto had plenty of the ball but were always vulnerable to Liverpool's waves of rapid counter-attacks, and Mane made it three shortly after the restart. - AFP
