PSG and Atlético end Liverpool and Barcelona’s European campaigns

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain secured another 2-0 victory over hosts Liverpool in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, sealing their place in the semi-finals. Atlético Madrid also advanced, despite a 2-1 defeat at home to Barcelona.

At Anfield, PSG entered the match full of confidence after their two-goal advantage from the first leg, but they faced early pressure from the hosts, who were eager to mount a comeback. However, French star Ousmane Dembélé proved decisive in the second half, delivering a man-of-the-match performance with two goals in the 72nd minute and stoppage time (90+1).

Despite a cautious start, the first half saw several dangerous attempts from Liverpool, particularly after Egyptian star Mohamed Salah came on following the injury of French forward Hugo Ekitike, providing a clear attacking boost. The Reds came close to scoring on multiple occasions, but the brilliance of Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, along with the defensive solidity led by Brazilian captain Marquinhos, kept PSG’s goal intact.

At the start of the second half, Liverpool continued to press forward, but the clinical edge belonged to the visitors. From a well-constructed move, the ball reached Dembélé, who curled a superb shot into the net, before adding a second in stoppage time to definitively end the hosts’ hopes.

With this victory, PSG booked a semi-final clash against the winner of the highly anticipated tie between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, set to take place later tonight.

Defeat but qualification for Atlético

In the Spanish capital, the drama was equally intense, as Barcelona made a perfect start against Atlético Madrid by scoring two early goals through Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres, bringing themselves back into contention for qualification.

However, Atlético showed strong character and quickly responded with a goal from Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, reducing the deficit and restoring their aggregate advantage. The goal gave the hosts a significant psychological boost, while Barcelona’s defense appeared unsettled against rapid counter-attacks. Their task became even more difficult after defender Eric García was sent off with a straight red card, allowing Atlético to exploit the spaces and continue threatening on the break.

Despite Barcelona’s attempts in the remaining minutes, the score line remained unchanged, and Atlético secured their place in the semi-finals—returning to this stage for the first time since 2017.

Los Rojiblancos will now face the winner of tonight’s clash between Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon, with the Premier League leaders holding a narrow first-leg advantage from last week’s encounter.