ANALYSIS
They were expected, they disappointed. Presented as the cornerstones of a team finally at the rendezvous of the great evenings of Europe, the offensive players of Paris Saint-Germain failed to break the lock of Bayern Munich, Sunday evening, in Lisbon . In this frustrating final, with several missed opportunities, the Parisian attack led by Neymar and Kylian Mbappé faltered at the decisive moment of the Champions League, the ultimate goal of the capital club.
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The disillusionment is at the height of the hopes placed in the feet of the jewels of Paris Saint-Germain. Very lively since the round of 16 against Dortmund, Neymar thus displayed a form that he had never seemed to have achieved since his arrival in Paris in 2017. His final stood out well with the dazzling and impact observed until ' then in Lisbon.
Crucial duel won by Neuer
The Brazilian first had his failed duel against Manuel Neuer, with a shot stopped by the German goalkeeper in the 18th minute. "From the moment he missed his face-to-face with Neuer, it was over for him," recalls Julien Froment, the special envoy for Europe 1 in Lisbon, who does not mince his words: "He completely missed his final. " Less sharp, unable to break the opposing lines as he usually does, the "Ney" has not been able to take his people to the Grail pursued for nine years by Paris Saint-Germain of the Qatari era.
Silent in Lisbon, Neymar has, moreover, unfortunately not been able to count on a Kylian Mbappé of the great evenings. The young Frenchman missed several opportunities that would have given a different face to this final mastered by Bayern Munich. Strikes countered, vain overflows, percussions contained by the German defense… The prodigy of Bondy, only 21 years old, especially missed one of the clearest situations of Paris Saint-Germain. Well found in the heart of the Bavarian area in one of the highlights of the Parisians, he missed a golden opportunity against the "wall" Neuer, before half-time (45th).
An attack "not sufficiently effective"
"Neymar and Kylian Mbappé have nevertheless had several times the opportunity to relaunch or give the advantage to their team. They did not do it," says Jean-François Pérès coldly. And the head of the sports department of Europe 1 to extend this failure in the final to a trend observed for several matches: "It will have been one of the big problems of PSG in this final tournament in Lisbon. In front, it does not was not effective enough. "
Among these "fantastic four" Parisians, Angel Di Maria seemed more capable of destabilizing the German wall, with assured ball grips and beautiful forward projections. But his attempts have all failed, like this dangerous center but too elusive for Mbappé to turn it into a real opportunity to equalize.
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"Not the fault of our attackers" for Marquinhos
As for the last diamond of this luxury attack, Mauro Icardi, he simply did not play a minute of this final. The fault in a form of the moment disappointing and eclipsed by the decisive contribution of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting at the end of the match against Bergamo (2-1). Which replaced Di Maria (80th), without succeeding in finding the baraka of the quarter-finals in the last moments of the match.
"We must not put everything on their backs, we are a team, everyone has tried to do their best," said defensive midfielder Marquinhos a few minutes after the meeting. "Everyone can do a little better, but it's not the fault of our attackers because they didn't score. We're a team, everyone has responsibilities." Next season, when the heavy atmosphere of choppy matches is back, all eyes will nonetheless be riveted on this XXL attack supposed to place Paris at the top of Europe. And for the moment powerless in the face of the leaders of the continent.