Deserving?

PSG made it to the last eight, in the Champions League, today.

But it wasn't the same. No easy win, like at the Mestalla stadium, three weeks ago. (It was 2-1, but if it had been 4-0, back then, it wouldn't have been an unjust result.)

Without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, suspended for two CL matches, PSG seemed content to just pass the ball around and attack (without conviction) whenever they saw an opening.

Looking at the other side, Valencia played better at the Parc des Princes, but not by much.
And this should be a worrying sign for Carlo Ancelotti and his men, because there will be far better teams waiting for them ahead, in the competition.

Still, to break the deadlock, on this day, it took a very inspired shot from the Brazilian Jonas, ten minutes after half-time, to put the visitors ahead on the scoreboard, and to awaken PSG, a little, from their lethargy.

Even though Lavezzi took advantage, on his second try, of Gameiro's ridiculing a couple of Valencia defenders, in the 66th minute, to tie it all up again, Valencia was still only one goal away from prolonging their Champions League campaign (into extra time).
But they failed. The lack of incisiveness that plagued PSG, the team with the best record, match-for-match, in this year's Champions League, was also to be found in the ranks of the Spanish team. Soldado, especially, played badly for Valencia.

So, PSG goes through, in the end; but they were very close to having to play extra time, on their own turf, after winning the first leg, away, quite easily. That's not impressive. And maybe the Reims and Sochaux defeats, in Ligue 1, were not flukes.

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