FC Zenit 2-4 Borussia Dortmund

Picture Courtsey: UEFA

Robert Lewandowski struck twice in the second half as last year's runners-up took a large step towards reaching the quarter-finals again.

Borussia Dortmund took a large step towards making the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for a second year running as Robert Lewandowski's second-half double helped secure an entertaining victory at FC Zenit.

Last season's runners-up raced into an early two-goal lead thanks to strikes from Marco Reus and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Oleg Shatov gave the home side hope just before the hour, but Lewandowski swiftly restored the visitors' cushion and then made the game safe with a second smart finish after Hulk's penalty had again reduced Zenit's arrears.

There was much expectation among the Zenit fans, who were watching their team play their first competitive match in over two months. However, that sense of anticipation was extinguished within five frenetic minutes as Jürgen Klopp's men exploited some rustiness in the home defence to take a firm grip on the game and the tie. On four minutes Reus, marauding down the right flank, easily held off the challenge of Domenico Criscito before the ball fell to Mkhitaryan, who slotted past Yuri Lodygin.

The visiting supporters were still celebrating when Reus doubled Dortmund's advantage a minute later, latching onto Kevin Grosskreutz's lay-off to beat Lodygin at his near post with Zenit's defence nowhere to be seen.

Luciano Spalletti's Russian league leaders tried to find a way back into the contest, but with the exception of Hulk they lacked a cutting edge. Lewandowski could have extended Dortmund's lead yet further, Lodygin turning the Polish international's attempt behind for a corner.

The 2013 finalists continued to create chances after the interval, yet Zenit were given a lifeline on 57 minutes. When José Rondón, making his first competitive appearance for the Premier-Liga outfit, hit the post, the ball came back for Shatov to rifle left-footed past Roman Weidenfeller.

Dortmund, and Lewandowski, responded almost immediately after good work from Łukasz Piszczek, the striker controlling a return cross from his Poland team-mate and steering a low effort under Lodygin. Piszczek's night took a turn for the worse as he was adjudged to have fouled Viktor Fayzulin and Hulk thumped the penalty beyond Weidenfeller; however, Lewandowski ensured Dortmund would have the last word.

This time he was played in by the excellent Reus and drilled a right-footed shot across Lodygin and into the bottom left-hand corner, his sixth goal in seven outings in this season's competition. Dortmund will go into the second leg on 19 March in firm control of the tie.

Zlatan Goals Shocks Bayern Leverkusen

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. 

Blaise Matuidi slid the ball under goalkeeper Bernd Leno to give the visitors a third-minute lead.
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. 

Before Tuesday, the Sweden striker had appeared in 30 matches in the Champions League knockout stages but only scored five goals, and he has yet to win the competition despite spells with Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Ajax.

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.

Pellegrini Says Jonas Eriksson Is Not Impartial.

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini said Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson favoured Barcelona in the Spanish side's 2-0 victory at Etihad Stadium. 

Eriksson awarded Barcelona a penalty and sent off City defender Martin Demichelis as the visitors won the Champions League last-16 first-leg tie.

Pellegrini claimed Eriksson was "not impartial to both teams".
The Chilean added: "The referee decided the game. He was on Barcelona's side from the beginning until the end."

Demichelis was sent off for a 54th-minute foul on Lionel Messi, who converted the resultant penalty to break the deadlock.

Pellegrini said a referee from Sweden should not have been chosen to officiate the game, and claimed Eriksson had "rearranged" a mistake he made in Barcelona's Champions League quarter-final against AC Milan in 2012. 

Pellegrini added: "Before the penalty, which was outside the area, there was a foul on Jesus Navas. He didn't control any of the game.
"I think it was not a good idea to put a referee from Sweden in charge of this match, and a referee who made an important mistake against Barcelona in a previous match. Today he rearranged it.
"The more important mistake is the foul against Navas, and secondly the penalty.

Five Things We learned From CL

The Champions League went, largely, according to plan last week for the seeded teams. Only Chelsea failed to claim a win among the pot-one contingent as the Jose Mourinho comeback remains in the doldrums.

Compatriots Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United suffered no such ill-fortune with David Moyes claiming his first win the competition as Arsene Wenger continues to defy the critics.

Elsewhere it was a mixed bag for German teams; two defeats for Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund while favourites Bayern Munich, as well as Schalke, won out.