Summary Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 with Valencia to reach the Champions League quarterfinals.
PARIS (AP) - Ezequiel Lavezzi scored the equalizer as Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 with Valencia on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 1995.
PSG had won the away leg of their last-16 match 2-1 and seemed content to sit back in a dull first half in which the visitors mustered two tame shots on target. The match came to life in the 55th minute when Brazilian forward Jonas profited from PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi to pick up the loose ball and score with a fierce shot from 20 meters for his fourth goal in three games.
The goal seemed to rattle PSG and coach Carlo Ancelotti brought on substitute Kevin Gameiro shortly after and his direct style and pace immediately caused problems for Valencia s defense.
Gameiro s surging run led to Lavezzi s equalizer in the 66th, as the Argentina winger knocked the ball in after his teammate s initial shot had been saved by goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, prompting wild celebrations on the PSG bench. The last time PSG reached the last eight it went on to lose to AC Milan Ancelotti s former club as player and manager in the semifinals.
Both sides were missing key players with PSG s top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended and Valencia without injured center half Adil Rami, scorer of Valencia s late goal in the first leg, forcing left back Jeremy Mathieu to switch to the center of defense.
With Marco Verratti also supsended, Thiago Motta returned from a six-week injury layoff to take his place in PSG s midfield alongside Matuidi, with former England captain David Beckham as an unused substitute on the bench.
Ancelotti also decided against starting Gameiro, leaving PSG without a recognized center forward as Lavezzi and Brazil winger Lucas formed a makeshift and largely unimpressive partnership up front.
Valencia striker Roberto Soldado had the first shot of the match in the 15th, breaking free down the right after playing a neat one-two with right back Jonas, but his shot was too close to keeper Salvatore Sirigu s body.
PSG s midfield was stretched at times because Valencia kept an extra man in the middle, with Soldado alone up front.
Jonas forced the only other shot on target in a poor first half close to the break, which Sirigu fumbled away clumsily for a corner.
Valencia s frustration grew as time ran out and PSG s players were on the receiving end of some heavy challenges, but the Spanish side failed to test Sirigu again.
Beckham paced up and down on the touchline in a seemingly endless warm-up routine, but Ancelotti decided against bringing him on, choosing instead to shore up his defense with center back Mamadou Sakho for the last 10 minutes.
