Champions League: Paris Saint-Germain has its feet in the final

Text by: Farid Achache Follow

4 min

Paris Saint-Germain qualified for the first Champions League final in its history by beating RB Leipzig in Lisbon on Tuesday August 18 thanks to Marquinhos, Di Maria and Bernat (3-0). The capital club will face either Bayern Munich or Olympique Lyonnais, poster of the other semi-final.  

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Paris Saint-Germain qualified for the first Champions League final in its history. In Lisbon, behind closed doors, against RB Leipzig, a surprise guest, the Parisians easily won this unprecedented poster (3-0) which marks a turning point in the most prestigious of football competitions.

Two posts for Neymar

For the first time since 2005, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo, winners of nine of the last fifteen editions with their respective clubs, were present in the last four. Paris, Qatari version, with its star Neymar, who finds the post of Leipzig from the 6th minute, makes forget the former European leaders.

A hand fault by the Brazilian on a counter prevents the referee from validating the first goal signed Mbappé, the other Parisian star (7th). But an uncrossed header from Marquinhos on a free kick from Di Maria will erase the “little frustration” of the Parisians (14th). Neymar has the break point in the 35th, but the former Barça player misses the target again.

Paris, claiming the European coronation with the arrival of the Qataris

If the Parisian club has just celebrated its fiftieth anniversary and has already reached this stage of the competition in 1995 against AC Milan, it is since the arrival of the Qatari owners in 2011 that it has again become a regular contender for the European coronation. .

But until today, the capital club could not climb into the last four. This time, Paris can finally hope to afford the title on Sunday 23 August, either against Bayern Munich or against Olympique Lyonnais, poster of the other semi-final. A footballing year turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic has created huge surprises in this unprecedented version of the C1 called "Final 8".

With the returns to the starting lineup of Kylian Mbappé, in top form after an injury, and Angel Di Maria, suspended against Bergamo, Parisian coach Thomas Tuchel finally had his full offensive arsenal to articulate his attack around the playing master Neymar. If the two Parisian stars had already proved their extreme importance, like their two assists in added time against Atalanta (2-1), Di Maria had a new opportunity to shine at the Estadio da Luz, the place of his greatest success.

Di Maria in her garden in Lisbon

In Benfica, the Argentinian (32) had amazed Lisbon supporters for three seasons (2007-2010) in the venue which will host the semi-final. It is on this same ground that he had won his only Champions League, with Real Madrid in 2014. Sunday, the compatriot of Lionel Messi will have the opportunity to make the double, he which allowed PSG to double the bet just before the break against the Germans (42nd). Defender Bernat widened the gap with an uncrossed header (56th).

“  My players are very calm. In the field, we are very strong. I have the impression that we are ready, we are hungry, Tuchel had hammered in a press conference. For us, it's not a historic thing, it's a semi-final, we're here to win.  "

The continuation therefore Sunday evening to write the most beautiful page of the Parisian club with in particular Thiago Silva for his last outing with Paris, he who lives his 11th C1 campaign in a row and who wants to leave the club through the front door.

So far, Paris has offered itself a fourth treble in France during this 2019/20 season with the Championship, the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue. We now need more than the European Grail to finally enter the big leagues.

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