Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice as Paris St-Germain took a huge step
towards the Champions League quarter-finals with a convincing last-16
first-leg win over 10-man Bayer Leverkusen.
Ibrahimovic then scored a penalty and fired into the top corner from 20 yards within three first-half minutes.
Yohan Cabaye sidefooted into the top corner after Emir Spahic saw red.
Ibrahimovic's two goals see him
move ahead of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo to become the tournament's
top scorer this season, with a personal best 10 Champions League goals.
Here he was a crucial presence, however, and even without their injured £55m striker Edinson Cavani, PSG sent out a warning to the rest of Europe's big teams with a masterful away performance. They go into the return leg at Parc des Princes on 12 March knowing no side has ever overturned a 4-0 deficit in the competition.
Laurent Blanc's side have lost just once in the French league all season, in contrast to their hosts who, though still second in the Bundesliga, have lost five of their last seven league matches - and whose last foray into the Champions League knockout rounds was two years ago when they were beaten 10-2 on aggregate by Barcelona.
The visitors made a quick start in Germany as France midfielder Matuidi won the ball back inside Leverkusen's half, before running on to Marco Verratti's through-ball and firing home.


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