Raphinha, Lewandowski lead Barcelona to 4-0 win

BARCELONA, Spain:

Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski struck again to lead Barcelona to a commanding 4-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals yesterday.

Also on Wednesday in the quarter-finals, a wonder goal from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia upstaged a brilliant curling shot from teammate Desire Doue as Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa 3-1.

At the Lluis Companys Olympic stadium in Barcelona, Raphinha added to his Champions League-leading tally by poking the ball into the open net in the 25th minute for his 12th goal in the competition this season. He than helped set up Lewandowski's first goal of the night in the 48th.

Lewandowski scored his 11th Champions League goal this season with a one-timer in the 66th, before Lamine Yamal closed the scoring in the 77th.

The loss dealt a commanding blow to the German side's hopes of advancing. The return match is next Tuesday at Dortmund, who were last year's runners-up in a final against Barcelona rivals Real Madrid.

"We played very well but we can't be thinking about the semi-finals yet," Lewandowski said. "We scored four goals at home but we still have the return leg to play."

14 CHAMPIONS LEGAUE GOALS AFTER 35

The 36-year-old Lewandowski has scored 14 Champions League goals after the age of 35, two more than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lewandowski had scored 17 of his 105 career goals in the Champions League for Dortmund over three seasons from 2011-14.

The Poland striker, who is also the Spanish league's leading scorer this season with 25 goals, has 40 goals this season.

"In my head I always want to be helping the team with my quality and my goals," Lewandowski said. "A striker always needs to be thinking about scoring goals, and when the team plays well it becomes easier for me."

After Morgan Rogers gave Villa the lead in the 35th minute, the 19-year-old Doue drew PSG level four minutes later with the 12th goal of his breakthrough season.

Kvaratskhelia put PSG in front four minutes after the break and left back Nuno Mendes added a third goal in stoppage time with a fine finish of his own.

Kvaratskhelia's was the goal of the night.

He sprinted down the left from just over the halfway line and then mesmerised Villa's defence in a blizzard of quick feet and superb balance.

Advancing at pace with the ball seemingly glued to his right foot, he then wrong-footed defender Axel Disasi with a sudden change of direction, before rolling the ball onto his left foot in one smooth motion and blasting an unstoppable shot over the head of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

"For a coach like me it's so great to have a player like him, with his mentality. He scored a brilliant goal," Luis Enrique said about Kvaratskhelia. "We tried to sign him last summer and it didn't work out. We signed him (in January) when we didn't really expect to. He's got everything to be part of our project."

- AP