Paris Saint-Germain overcame a spirited effort from Real Sociedad to earn a 2-0 advantage in their Champions League Round of 16 tie, as Les Parisiens aim to progress from this stage for just the third time in the last eight years.Paris may be the city of love, but it was the lust for long-awaited Champions League glory that took over Les Parisiens this Valentine’s Day. They endured a shaky start with André Silva coming close 30 seconds into proceedings, although it wasn’t long until Kylian Mbappé was released for his first opportunity – even if he was denied by a strong Álex Remiro save. The hosts still struggled to create while Takefusa Kubo found openings, beating Lucas Beraldo before firing into the side netting, then delivering a cross that Silva headed marginally wide from.UCL: Lucky Real Madrid and persistent Man City return home victoriousLa Real looked the more confident side as the half-hour mark came and went, with a restlessness developing among the home faithful at the Parc des Princes while Marquinhos could be seen trying to get his team going. PSG responded as Ousmane Dembélé’s corner delivery was awkwardly tipped behind and Bradley Barcola’s instinctive header went off-target following Achraf Hakimi’s deflected shot, but Mikel Merino came the closest of anyone as his thunderous strike hit the crossbar on its way behind.Al-Khelaifi: We want to move from the Parc! Paris mayor: PSG will never leave the Parc des Princes!The visitors had done a good job of nullifying Mbappé, with one deflected shot bobbling harmlessly towards Remiro and another going into the side netting. However, they were unable to stop him from the ensuing corner with Hamari Traoré off the pitch, as Marquinhos diverted Dembélé’s corner delivery towards the talisman, who put his side ahead with an intelligent finish. Remiro made a superb save to tip another Mbappé effort onto the crossbar, but he and La Real’s entire defence were left helpless as Barcola jinked his way into the box and poked home his first-ever Champions League goal.While Randal Kolo Muani sent an attempt of his own wide, PSG extended their unbeaten home record across all competitions to 14 matches and, more importantly, take an advantage to Anoeta Stadium. Sociedad, meanwhile, need a victory in March having gone winless in their last five competitive matches.Elsewhere, Ciro Immobile converted from the spot to give Lazio a precious lead over 10-man Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 clash, as the Biancocelesti kept a fifth consecutive home clean sheet to inflict the visitors’ first European defeat in 10 months.Still reeling from Saturday’s crushing loss against Bundesliga title rivals Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern set out to rediscover a feel-good factor at Stadio Olimpico. Joshua Kimmich was benched at the weekend but came back into the starting eleven here, and while his side-footed effort from the edge of the box flashed wide of the post, it set the tone for a first half littered with chances for the visitors.FT: Lazio 1-0 Bayern Munich.5 points behind 1st place in the Bundesliga, a 3-0 defeat vs Bayer Leverkusen and now defeat vs Lazio in the Champions League. VERY DARK TIMES for Thomas Tuchel! pic.twitter.com/ug3CHjdS4a— 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) February 14, 2024 Harry Kane turned away in disgust after missing the target from close range with fewer than seven minutes on the clock, but his teammates didn’t fare much better. A well-worked free-kick routine saw Leroy Sané miss the upright by inches, before a rapid sequence of one-touch passing created a gilt-edged opportunity for Jamal Musiala, who strained to get his shot away but ultimately cleared the crossbar. It wasn’t all battening down the hatches for Lazio, who packed their own penalty area and forced Bayern wide for much of the first period, as Luis Alberto threatened with a shot from distance to remind Thomas Tuchel they were more than capable of causing an upset.##EDITORS_CHOICE##A second warning came early in the second half, when Gustav Isaksen was played in over the top before seeing his one-on-one opportunity stifled by the always sturdy Manuel Neuer, but the game’s telling moment was still to unfold. A high challenge from Dayot Upamecano proved to be the turning point, earning him a red card and granting Lazio a penalty, which Immobile slotted home with clinical composure to blow the two-legged tie wide open.Tuchel will hope key members of his crippling nine-player injury list return to fitness for the second leg in three weeks’ time, as Bayern look to make the last eight for a fifth consecutive season. Lazio, meanwhile, will rock up at the Allianz Arena with renewed belief as they hunt down their first Champions League quarter-final appearance since 2000.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE1/8 finalsTuesdayCopenhagen – Man.City 1-3 (1-2)/Mattsson 34 – De Bruyne 10, Silva 45+1, Foden 90+3/RB Leipzig – Real Madrid 0-1 (0-0)/Diaz 49/WednesdayPSG – Sociedad 2-0 (0-0)/Mbappe 58, Barcola 71/Lazio – Bayern 1-0 (0-0)/Immobile 69 pen/Tuesday the 20th23:00: (2.00) Inter (3.40) Atl.Madrid (3.90)23:00: (2.15) PSV (3.45) Dortmund (3.35)Wednesday the 21st23:00: (4.10) Porto (3.50) Arsenal (1.90)23:00: (2.70) Napoli (3.35) Barcelona (2.60)***odds are subject to change***
