Paris hold off CSKA to book quarter-final date

Paris Saint-Germain held off a concerted second-half fightback from PFC CSKA Moskva to book their place in the UEFA Youth League quarter-finals.

The French side were sitting pretty when Michaël Herve struck moments before the interval, doubling a lead given them when Hervin Ongenda rifled in a stunning free-kick. The second period was just four minutes old when Dmitri Efremov reduced the arrears, though, to set up a nervy finish for the visitors. They held on, and will host Real Madrid CF in the last eight.

There was little to choose between the teams in the opening exchanges at the Rodina Stadium before Ongenda put Paris in the ascendancy, sending an incredible 19th-minute set piece into the top-left corner. Vadim Larionov, an early replacement for the injured Aleksandr Golovin, threatened an equaliser but was denied by some desperate last-ditch defending and CSKA were up against it once Herve pounced after a Roli Pereira De Sa shot was blocked.

Efremov gave the hosts some hope following a great Pavel Kotov cross but CSKA could not find a breakthrough as Paris closed the game out.