Football news - Neymar and Juan Bernat send PSG through

A solid and enterprising performance from PSG - who handled the empty ground superbly - was enough to see off a disappointing Dortmund. If they maintain this level of performance, commitment and organisation, they are a serious threat to win the trophy - should that option be available.

As fireworks boomed outside the Parc des Princes, the home side started well, led by the workaholic Neymar - really! - while the visitors struggled to get started. On 28 minutes, PSG took the lead, Angel Di Maria swerving a spiteful corner into the six-yard box, met by Neymar with a diving header as Achraf Hakimi slept.

Then, just before half-time, the hosts scored again, Neymar driving at the centre of the Dortmund defence before Pablo Sarabia's cross was turned home by Juan Bernat.

After the break Dortmund did their best to up the intensity, but simply could not find momentum, rhythm or inspiration. They created near enough nothing, though the introduction of Julian Brandt made a small difference, and their night was summed up in the final minute when Emre Can was sent off, incurring a yellow card for fouling Neymar and then a second when, in the ensuing melee, he shoved the same player away after foreheads kissed.

So PSG progress and deservedly so. No one knows what to, but the wild celebrations inside and outside the ground told us that for now, they'll take it.

PSG are a disgrace. We all love football. Football is exceedingly lovable. These are universal axioms. But some things, like global pandemics, take precedence, so PSG congratulating the fans who gathered outside the ground, instead of imploring them to disperse, was, and is, appalling. People are dying, people are going to die, and the game was played behind closed doors to try and stop that from happening. Turning up at the ground anyway is not evidence of loyalty but of idiocy, and indulging it is disgusting.

Neymar (PSG) Scored one, helped create another, and worked his arse off. Should have the video of the game tattooed on his eyeballs so that he always plays like that.

PSG: Navas 7, Kehrer 6, Marquinhos 8, Kimpembe 7, Bernat 7, Di Maria 6, Paredes 7, Gueye 6, Neymar 8, Sarabia 6, Cavani 7. Subs: Mbappe 6, Kurzawa 6, Kouassi 6.

Borussia Dortmund: Burki 6, Zgadou 6, Hummels 6, Pszczek 6, Hakimi 5, Witsel 5, Can 6, Guerreiro 6, Sancho 5, Haaland 5, Hazard 5. Subs: Brandt 6, Reyna 6, Gotze 6.

25’ - OH EDINSON! The game's biggest big-game bottler - along with Gonzalo Higuain, obviously - is sent through by Di Maria! But, at inside-right, he drills low and hard for the far post, only to allow Navas to extend a foot and save!

28’ -GOAL! PSG (2) 1-0 (2) Borussia Dortmund (Neymar) Di Maria swerves a nasty cross into the six-yard box and Neymar attacks it with a diving header - really! - as Hakimi waves a shoulder from behind him; that's a well-taken finish, but miserable defending. PSG lead on away goals!

45+1’ - GOAL! PSG (3) 2-0 (1) Borussia Dortmund (Bernat) Neymar oozes towards the Dortmund defence and finds Kehrer who finds Sarabia, and his cross is steered home by the arch predator! PSG have played really well here, and are now in total command of the tie (until Dortmund score).

77’ - Better from Dortmund, Hakimi rolling back for Brandt, who rolls studs over the ball to set then sweeps a shot that Gueye blocks at source, sending it looping over the bar.

89’ - AND EMRE CAN IS SENT OFF! I’m not quite sure what for!

90’ - Ok, this is what the red card was for: a yellow for the initial challenge - harsh - then Neymar stuck his phizog in Can's so Can pushed him away, incurring a second caution. I can't help but wonder if that would've happened without the melee, after which Neymar was also booked.

Neymar has been directly involved in 38 goals in 28 home Champions League games - 20 of them for Barcelona and eight of them for PSG - scoring 26 and creating 12.

PSG have now reached six Champions League quarter-finals, more than any other French team.