UWCL roundup: PSG, Barcelona complete final four

Paris won their UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final against Häcken 5-1 on aggregate, while Barcelona advanced to the last four against Chelsea despite a brave Brann performance in the second leg.

Tabitha Chawinga's powerful opener, Korbin Albert's spectacular long-range effort, and Marie-Antoinette Katoto's precise header helped Paris Saint-Germain defeat Häcken 3-0 in the second leg of the UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-finals at the Parc des Princes.

Stopping Paris' unwavering home form may have appeared a daunting task, but a Häcken team known for its resilience appeared unfazed by the challenge of overcoming a 2-1 first-leg deficit.

The hosts, however, made the majority of the early running, coming close in front of their devoted fans when Amalie Vangsgaard broke free on the right and sent a low pass into the path of Marie-Antoinette Katoto, whose fierce drive on the turn was diverted behind by goalkeeper Jennifer Falk at her near post.

Chawinga scored the decisive late goal in Paris' first-leg victory, and their clinical top scorer demonstrated her speed and potency once more to give her team a two-goal lead in the tie, gliding inside the box and powering a fierce finish into the far corner of Falk's net to calm their nerves.

The Swedish team, led by 16-year-old Felicia Schröder and with the dangerous Rosa Kafaji scheming behind, displayed neat approach play without posing a threat to their far more experienced opponents, whose dominance increased once play resumed.

Falk denied Katoto in one of several impressive saves, but Albert's magnificent long-range drive made it 2-0, sending the ball soaring into the roof of the net and putting Les Parisiennes on track for a seventh semi-final appearance.

Katoto increased the lead 16 minutes from time, arriving first to expertly flick in Sakina Karchaoui's cross, securing an all-French semi-final against eight-time champions Lyon.

Holders Barcelona won despite another battling Brann performance, securing their sixth consecutive semi-final appearance in the competition.

Brann, who pushed the holders close in the first leg eight days ago, were faced with the daunting task of inflicting Barcelona's first home defeat in this competition since the 2017/18 season if they were to become Norway's first semi-finalists in 17 years.

As in Bergen, the Blaugrana began to put pressure on their opponents early on, and goalkeeper Aurora Mikalsen was once again in inspired form.

The Norwegian international was at full stretch to turn Caroline Graham Hansen's low strike around the post, and the visiting goalkeeper made a superb one-handed save to deny Irene Paredes' powerful header just minutes later.

In a rare foray forward for the Toppserien club, 18-year-old Signe Gaupset shrugged off Mariona Caldentey's challenge to create space to shoot, but was unable to beat Barça goalkeeper Catalina Coll at her near post.

Midway through the first half, a piece of magic overcame the busy Brann goalkeeper. Alexia Putellas passed the ball to Esmee Brugts, who found Aitana Bonmatí just outside the box with a neat lay-off. The midfielder appeared to lose momentum before regaining full control of the ball and firing a left-footed shot into the far corner of the net.

Mariona Caldentey nearly added a second before halftime, but her low strike rolled agonisingly wide of the post following a clever move by the hosts.

Graham Hansen, who scored in the victory in Bergen on March 20, set up the goal that ultimately swung the tie away from her fellow countrywomen 11 minutes after the break.

The Oslo-born attacker entered the Brann penalty area from the right wing, her cutback rebounding off two visiting defenders. Mikalsen was unable to fully gather the ball, giving Fridolina Rolfö a simple tap-in.

However, the Norwegians did not give up and reduced the deficit with a well-worked goal, Tomine Svendheim's clever finish capping off a fine move by Martin Peter Ho's team.

The two-time Norwegian champions came close to equalising on the night, but Anna Nerland Aahjem's powerful strike flashed across the face of goal following a strong run by the Brann replacement.

The reigning champions scored the fourth goal of the evening, with substitute Patri Guijarro prodding in from Aitana Bonmatí's pass and Graham Hansen's good work on the right wing.

SportsLigue