By SCOTT MULLEN

PSG 5

GLASGOW CITY 0

(PSG win 7-0 on aggregate)

IT was a night for Glasgow City to draw inspiration from their great surroundings, only to be undone by a force from within.

Walking through the streets of Paris, it is almost impossible not to be taken in by a city dripping in culture and history. As well as the inspiring sight of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe or the imposing Parc des Princes - the venue for this women's Champions League quarter-final second leg - the French capital is also home to some of the world's most renowned and influential philosophers.

Born in Paris back in 1694, it was Voltaire who once professed 'Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe'.

It is a quote which fits Glasgow City's approach to what was arguably the biggest game the Scottish champions have ever played. Having been soundly beaten 2-0 in Airdrie last Sunday by a Paris St Germain side with a budget of £7.5million, it seemed inconceivable to anyone out with the group to foresee the Scots going even further into uncharted European territory, this being the deepest any Scottish team had advanced in the competition.

Having seen as much of the ball as Wee Mary the tea lady last weekend, City arrived in Paris this weekend aware of the monumental task ahead of them, but buoyed by an unshakeable and extraordinary self-belief engrained into a team that has won the Scottish title eight times in the last eight years.

However, that inner positivity was not enough to provide a night of great shock in the iconic Parc des Princes as was witnessed back in 2007 as James McFadden's 30-yard drive gave Scotland a memorable win over France.

While Glasgow City started with a bit more get-up-and-go than they did last time the sides met, their defensive frailties were badly exposed by a patient but yet relentless Parisian attack who eased their way to a 5-0 win on the night and a resounding 7-0 triumph on aggregate.

Eddie Wolecki-Black's team were often caught napping at set-plays as the hosts' creativity caused havoc on a lush surface. However, for all their flowing forward play, it was a defensive laps and heavy touch from Suzanne Lappin which sent the ball scudding into her own net to start Glasgow's demise.

An over-hit corner after 26 minutes was easily recycled by PSG near the opposite flank. Aurelie Kaci quickly fed the ball to Marie-Laure Delie who managed to wriggle free on the byeline, race in to the box and cut a sharp pass back across goal. Desperate to try and intercept, former Liverpool and Chelsea midfielder Lappin's stray leg inadvertently put the ball under keeper Lee Alexander for the opener.

That effectively ended any small flicker of hope for Glasgow, who continued to sit with banks of four and five deep within their own half for long spells. It still didn't stop PSG from finding space, with Josephine Henning, Shirley Cruz Trana and Sabrina Delannoy all finding space in and around the City box to fire at goal.

The second half continued in a similar manner to the first as the Scots tried to keep the score down. Yet it only took the Parisian side nine minutes to double their tally. Fatmire Alushi worked the ball well in the box to cut back for the unmarked Marie-Laure Delie to calmly slip the ball through Alexander from five yards out.

It was with half an hour to go that City began to offer Fiona Brown some help up front but it did little to alleviate the pressure that was continuing to build on their defence, which would soon again shoot itself in the foot.

With 25 minutes left on the clock, Cruz Trana drifted into the box on the far left before her quick feet saw her go by stand-in captain Emma Black, whose rash challenge promptly brought the Costa Rican crashing to the turf. Black received a booking for her trouble as Delannoy stepped up to pass the ball into the bottom corner with Alexander rooted.

The rout was not finished, though, with a fourth being added just three minutes later. This time captain Delannoy turned provider with a drilled byeline cutback for on-rushing Delie to crash home.

Susan Fairlie and Denise O'Sullivan were thrown on to try and stem the flow, but in truth it didn't matter, the dam had already burst.

And to top things off in the dying minutes, PSG made it five from the spot through Kenza Dali after Swede Caroline Seger had been brought down during a fracas in the box.

It was a sad and untidy end to a historic and memorable journey for City. Utterly dominant domestically in Scotland, they were, quite understandably, simply unable to cope with their full-time counterparts who advance into the semi-finals to face giants Wolfsburg while Glasgow turn their attention to ensuring another foray into European football is secured again.

C'est la vie.

PSG: Kiedrzynek; Delannoy, Georges, Henning, Boulleau; Hamraoui, Seger, Cruz Trana (Asslani 69); Alushi, Delie, Kaci (Dali 69)

SUBS NOT USED: Benameur, Bresonik, Krahn, Geyoro, Lahmari

SCORERS: Lappin OG 26, Delie 54, 67, Delannoy 64 PEN, Dali 88 PEN

BOOKINGS: Cruz Trana

GLASGOW CITY: Alexander; Black, Jones, McCulloch, Docherty; Grant (Fairlie 67), Lappin (Ross 83), Love, Montgomery (O'Sullivan 67), Lauder; Brown

SUBS NOT USED: Cunningham, McMurchie, Rafferty

SCORERS:

BOOKINGS: Brown, Jones, Black

REFEREE: Christine Frai

WOTM: Marie-Laure Delie