UCL: Barcelona, PSG Halfway Through to S’finals 

Raphinha equalled Lionel Messi’s club record for goal involvements in a single Champions League campaign as Barcelona thrashed Borussia Dortmund 4-0 to take command of their quarter-final tie.

Brazilian Raphinha scored and assisted twice to reach 19 goal involvements in the competition this term, the same as Messi achieved in the 2011-12 campaign.

Elsewhere on the night, Nuno Mendes struck deep into stoppage time to give Paris St-Germain a significant 3-1 advantage against Aston Villa in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Parc des Princes, Paris, France.

Villa looked like they would only need to overturn a one-goal deficit at Villa Park until Mendes stole in to deliver a devastating blow to Unai Emery’s side in the dying seconds.

Back to the Barcelona game, Raphinha’s 12th European goal of the season gave Barcelona a deserved first-half lead, before Robert Lewandowski struck twice after the break and Lamine Yamal added a fourth to put the Spanish side on course for the semi-finals.

The hosts ran riot in the early stages and could have scored three times inside the opening seven minutes, with Yamal and Lewandowski forcing Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel into smart saves.

Barca’s pressure told in the 25th minute, although the goal was a touch fortuitous.

Fermin Lopez’s free-kick – awarded when Karim Adeyemi pulled the hair of Jules Kounde – found Inigo Martinez at the far post, who headed the ball across the six-yard box.