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Every time the ball approached Neymar's feet, Leipzig seemed to dwarf and an aura of majesty never seen before this final phase in Lisbon was drawn over the Brazilian forward. As if, finally freed from the annoying noise that has always accompanied him, football had once and for all granted him the double aspiration that gives meaning to his career: to be the best footballer in the world and lead PSG towards the title of champion of Europe. What used to be an omen is now almost destiny, since Neymar , imperial on the Estadio da Luz, is now very close to both objectives , the main person responsible for PSG overcoming the obstacle of a less fierce Leipzig than expected, perhaps something new and from then too imprecise.

Nothing is explained without Neymar, but not everything is explained only with him. PSG, so many times a mere accumulation of stars, is now a team, conscientiously chiseled by Thomas Tuchel . The Brazilian decides, so does Mbappé on other nights, but behind them there is a meaningful construction that allows the secondary actors to shine. No example like that of Di María , author last night of a goal and two assists. Or Marquinhos and Bernat , who with their goals contributed to unfold the red carpet that leads PSG to a final for which they expect a rival: Bayern or Lyon.

It took three long years to see in a decisive Champions League match what Nasser Al-Khelaifi dreamed of when in the summer of 2017 he dared to burst the world market. The sheikh spent about 400 million euros to enjoy nights like yesterday, in which Neymar and Mbappé claimed the top of football together. The Brazilian's injuries marked the eliminations of PSG the two previous seasons, the French almost cost him the scare against Atalanta last week. With both healthy, the Parisian team finally exhibited the enormous potential that corresponds to the investment made in these years of ineffective megalomania.

At dawn they both connected, with an excellent pass from Mbappé towards Neymar's uncheck that the Brazilian stamped on Gulacsi's post. There began to shake a Leipzig not used to this competitive altitude, practically a rookie in the Champions League whose enormous merit is, beyond last night's result in Lisbon, indisputable. Ask Atlético.

Nagelsmann's men made avoidable errors in the ball exit that allowed Mbappé and Di María to burst from the sides and Neymar acting as a center forward. The goal that opened the semifinal, however, had a different stroke than expected, with two supporting actors on the brushes. Di María turned a lateral foul into pure poison and Marquinhos rose with power and hierarchy in the area to set up an unappealable header.

Bernat's rogue

In addition to the advantage, PSG found in that goal the opportunity to finish defeating Leipzig, but was not able to do so. However, only when the ball reached Neymar did Tuchel's team accelerate the plays and thus intimidate their energetic rival, limited to some counterattack, like a very dangerous one in which Poulsen sent a Laimer cross away. The Brazilian, for his part, added his second post, turning a far-off foul into a surprise shot. Only the goal was going to resist him last night, as in the quarterfinals against Atalanta. The lyric invites us to presage that he reserves them for the final.

Everything was going to end up falling under its own weight just before and just after the break. Still in the first half, a serious error by Gulacsi in the exit of the ball allowed a quick play in which Di María scored a goal after receiving a heel assist from Neymar. And ten minutes after the break, a stumble by Mukiele allowed a cross from the Argentine for Bernat's rogue header.

Any minimal aspiration for a comeback that Leipzig had was buried the moment the VAR ratified the goal of the Spanish side. Nagelsmann's brave team pretended not to give up, while PSG began to think about Saturday's final. On the day when perhaps everything makes sense, in which Neymar can finally savor the promised double destiny.

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