Paris Saint-Germain, with Lee Kang-in coming off the bench in the second half, secured a dominant victory over Chelsea in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
PSG thrashed Chelsea 5-2 at Parc des Princes in Paris on March 12 (Korea time), powered by a brace from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
PSG, who claimed their first-ever Champions League title last season, have seized the advantage heading into the quarterfinals. The victory also erased the bitter memory of their loss to Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup final last July.
Chelsea, returning to the Champions League after a three-season absence, now face mounting pressure ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge in London on March 18.
Lee Kang-in started on the bench and entered the pitch in the 69th minute, replacing Ousmane Dembélé, playing until the final whistle. Having appeared as a substitute in eight Champions League matches this season, Lee failed to register a goal contribution.
PSG fielded Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, and Désiré Doué in attack, with João Neves, Vitinha, and Warren Zaïre-Emery anchoring the midfield. The hosts took the lead just 10 minutes in.
Dembélé delivered a cross from the right side of the penalty area, Neves flicked it on with a header, and Barcola controlled the ball with his chest before firing home with his left foot.
Chelsea equalized in the 28th minute when Malo Gusto finished off a cross from Enzo Fernández. However, PSG restored their lead before halftime when Dembélé embarked on a solo run on the counter-attack, beating multiple defenders before slotting home with his right foot to make it 2-1.
Chelsea's response proved formidable. In the 58th minute, Pedro Neto drove into the left side of the penalty area on the counter and cut the ball back for Fernández, who struck with his right foot to level the score again.
PSG manager Luis Enrique introduced Kvaratskhelia in the 62nd minute and Lee in the 69th minute to regain control. His side capitalized on a Chelsea error in the 74th minute to score their third goal.
Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jørgensen attempted a pass to a teammate inside the penalty area, but Barcola intercepted it. The Georgian winger quickly laid the ball off to Vitinha at the edge of the penalty arc, who lifted a right-footed shot over Jørgensen into the net.
PSG sealed the victory in the 86th minute when Kvaratskhelia curled a stunning right-footed strike from the left side of the penalty arc.
In the 90th minute, Lee pounced on another wayward Chelsea pass and fired a right-footed shot into the goal, but it was ruled out for offside. Kvaratskhelia added his third goal in stoppage time to complete PSG's emphatic victory.