Kylian Mbappe produced a moment of brilliance deep into added time to give Paris Saint-Germain FC a slender lead against Real Madrid while Manchester City scored five for the third time in this season`s UEFA Champions League to beat Sporting CP in their last 16 tie on Tuesday.
At the Parc des Princes, Mbappe struck in added time after Thibaut Courtois` save from Lionel Messi`s penalty kept the visitors level.
Paris enjoyed near domination in the first half but the two presentable openings they prised were spurned. Mbappe`s early low cross was blazed over by Angel Di Maria from the first of them before the France striker was thwarted by Thibaut Courtois after sneaking in behind Dani Carvajal. Casemiro headed wide from Madrid`s lone moment of promise.
The second half started in similar fashion with Mbappe`s low drive brilliantly parried by Courtois after an intricate move from the hosts but the pressure finally told when Carvajal clipped the striker in the area as he latched on to a through ball. However, Lionel Messi`s low penalty was pushed away by the inspired Courtois to maintain parity.
That appeared to be as close as Mauricio Pochettino`s men would come as Madrid remained resolute, even after the introduction of Neymar in the 72nd minute, until Mbappe took matters into his own hands, skipping between two challenges and firing under Courtois to leave Carlo Ancelotti`s side with a second-leg deficit to overturn.
In Lisbon, goals from Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva (2), Phil Foden, and Raheem Sterling helped Manchester City to a convincing first-leg win away to Sporting in their round of 16 tie.
Riyad Mahrez grabbed the opener, an effort which was initially ruled out for offside before being overturned by VAR, before Bernardo Silva crashed a shot in off the crossbar.
Phil Foden prodded in a third and Silva struck again before the break as City took a strangehold on the tie with less than a quarter of it played.
Raheem Sterling curled in the fifth – the pick of the goals – just before the hour to give his side a big advantage ahead of next month`s second leg.
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