Neves and Dembélé return from injury to star as PSG routs Chelsea 5-2 in Champions League

PARIS (AP) — João Neves and Ousmane Dembélé returned from injury to help Paris Saint-Germain rout Chelsea 5-2 in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday.

They combined to set up the first goal after 10 minutes and Dembélé scored with a brilliant solo effort late in the first half.

The third goal followed a blunder from Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jørgensen, who passed the ball straight to PSG forward Bradley Barcola. He fed substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who then passed inside to Vitinha and he neatly lobbed Jørgensen.

Kvaratskhelia added two late goals allowing PSG to take a healthy lead into next Tuesday's second leg at Stamford Bridge in London.

“We showed we are capable of anything. We have to carry on like this," Kvaratskhelia said. "We conceded goals but we have to analyze the mistakes we made.”

Dembélé's speed and lucid thinking on his goal showed that the Ballon d'Or winner is getting back to his best in an injury-hit season.

He latched onto a pass near the halfway line and then accelerated clear before cutting inside and then outside to beat defenders Marc Cucurella then Wesley Fofana before firing a low shot across Jørgensen and into the bottom left corner.

“He played very well, he played like Ousmane Dembélé knows how to and it’s very good news for us,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “We look forward to him doing it again in London next week.”

Dembélé came off midway through the second half but it appeared only as a precautionary measure rather than another injury flare up.

“When a player returns you have to give them the right amount of playing time," Luis Enrique said.

On the opening goal, Dembélé’s cross from the right was headed down by Neves for Barcola to score from inside the penalty area.

Dembélé hit the crossbar moments later with a rasping shot. He came off midway through the second half.

Neves had been nursing an ankle injury since PSG advanced past Monaco in the Champions League playoffs last month.

Dembélé shook off a calf injury. He had come on as a second-half substitute in Friday's 3-1 home defeat to Monaco in Ligue 1.

Their return allowed PSG coach Luis Enrique to name a near-full strength side, although midfielder Fabián Ruiz remained sidelined with a left knee injury.

PSG last played Chelsea in July in the final of the Club World Cup, when Chelsea won 3-0.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

PSG's Ousmane Dembele, right, leaves the pitch and speaks with PSG's head coach Luis Enrique after being substituted during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in Paris, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

PSG's Ousmane Dembele scores his side's second goal during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in Paris, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

PSG's Joao Neves, left, and Chelsea's Cole Palmer challenge for the ball during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in Paris, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

PSG's Ousmane Dembele celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in Paris, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

PSG's Bradley Barcola, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in Paris, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

PSG players pose ahead of the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in Paris, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

DENVER (AP) — Jaden McDaniels took perhaps his most notable shot after Minnesota's 119-114 playoff win at Denver in Game 2 on Monday night.

The Timberwolves forward pretty much labeled all the Nuggets' players bad defenders. Thrown in there were All-Stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

“Go after Jokic, Jamal, all the bad defenders,” said McDaniels, who had 14 points and three assists. "Tim Hardaway (Jr.), Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, the whole team, just go at them.”

So they're all bad defenders?

“Yeah, they’re all bad defenders,” McDaniels added.

The Timberwolves overcame a 19-point deficit to even the first-round series, which shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Thursday night. Anthony Edwards led the way with 30 points despite playing on a sore knee. He also had 10 rebounds.

“They don’t got people that can defend the rim,” McDaniels said. "We’re still more athletic than them and just got to be able to finish when we do.”

Jokic had 24 points and 15 rebounds — all on the defensive end — while Murray scored 30 points. But Denver's dynamic duo shot a combined 2 of 12 for four points in the fourth quarter. Murray had a chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer in the closing seconds but elected to pull up for a 2-point shot instead.

He missed.

“I was happy he took the two points,” Edwards said. “I thought he had a good look at a 3 when he first came off but yeah, he took the 2-pointer. I guess if he made it, we would have been in a free-throw situation. But yeah, I’m kind of happy he took the 2-pointer.”

Murray said he “didn't make enough shots tonight.”

"That’s really about it,” he added. "We all could have played better. It’s not all on one person, that’s just the way the game goes sometimes. They played hard as well. It was a good game. I thought we had the game in our hands, but we just didn’t make enough shots, in my opinion.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) and Bruce Brown (11) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Minnesota Timberwolves Jaden McDaniels (3) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey) CORRECTION Correct to Julius Randle in stead of Julius Randle.