Champions League: PSG stages late comeback to oust Atalanta, reach semis

Through so many exasperating moments in entrance of aim — too many for the world’s most costly footballer — Neymar persevered, decided to rescue Paris Saint-Germain.

Just when it appeared time was working out, the participant signed to ship PSG its most coveted trophy spared the French champions from a humbling Champions League exit towards Atalanta.

An evening of irritating squandered scoring possibilities ended with Neymar organising the objectives that turned Wednesday’s sport round, producing a 2-1 victory that despatched PSG into the semifinals for the primary time in 25 years.

“Nobody will ever get it out of my head that I want to go to the final,” he mentioned. “We’re a formidable squad, a family, with the attitude that it’s impossible to knock us out.”

Atalanta, the Serie A membership on a modest price range eclipsed by Qatar-funded PSG, had led from Mario Pašalić’s curling strike within the 27th minute till the 90th. Neymar then discovered time to arrange Marquinhos for the equalizer and was concerned within the build-up to Eric Choupo-Moting’s winner within the third minute of stoppage time.

Relief for Neymar. Agony for Atalanta. And all of the feelings could possibly be heard across the empty Lisbon stadium, with no followers allowed inside due to the coronavirus restrictions.

“At this moment, it’s quite painful,” Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon. “Tomorrow, I will be proud of our team and club but at this moment I feel disappointment.”

It had appeared Atlanta’s resilience would prevail and prolong a exceptional debut season in European soccer’s elite competitors simply as its house metropolis of Bergamo — one of many European cities hardest-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic — continues to grieve the 1000’s of victims.

“It leaves us with a very bad taste to have conceded that late winner when the match was about to finish,” Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini. “That’s what is really hurting us because until that moment we thought we were controlling the match.”

The substitutes helped remodel PSG’s fortunes — first with Kylian Mbappé’s arrival with 30 minutes remaining, after which Choupo-Moting 20 minutes later.

“When I came on I thought I can’t lose,” mentioned Choupo-Moting, whose excessive, diagonal go reached Neymar on the left flank within the 90th. ‘The Brazilian’s scuffed shot was turned in by Marquinhos to evoke PSG for an exciting finale.

It was one other run by Neymar that unpicked a tiring Atalanta earlier than feeding Mbappé, who squared throughout for Choupo-Moting to slip the ball over the road.

“It was not only just a technical show,” Choupo-Moting mentioned of Neymar. “He has worked hard for the team.”

Although Neymar was awarded man of the match, the €222 million ahead handed over the prize to the much less glamorous teammate signed as a free agent two 12 months in the past after Stoke’s relegation from the Premier League.

Only the season being prolonged due to the pandemic means Choupo-Moting remains to be a PSG participant. The pandemic additionally meant the quarterfinals are usually not being performed on a home-and-away foundation as standard however as single video games in impartial Lisbon with no second possibilities.

With the French league deserted in March, PSG had solely performed two aggressive video games since then — home cup remaining victories in July.

“It was very difficult to prepare the team,” PSG coach Thomas Tuchel mentioned. “There was no rhythm because there were no games, but I could feel in the last days the determination, enthusiasm and effort.”

Choupo-Moting went on within the 79th to switch the struggling Mauro Icardi, who managed only a single off-target shot. At least Neymar was getting in sight of aim extra usually, however scuffed a number of good possibilities within the first half — together with a obtrusive miss within the third minute.

Receiving possession on the midway line, he ran half the size of the pitch and had solely goalkeeper Marco Sportiello to beat however skewed the ball large of the put up.

The misses proved expensive when Duvan Zapata’s go caught PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe and fell to Pašalić, who curled into the roof of the web for his 12th aim of the season.

Once once more, PSG regarded to Neymar to discover a means again into the sport.

Once once more, he missed, dragging a shot large and searching like a participant who has solely had two aggressive video games since March.

Even a free kick from Neymar lacked any tempo and was simply saved. And when proper again Hans Hateboer gifted Neymar a gap within the 42nd with a sloppy again go, the ahead might solely strike large.

Mbappé was solely launched for the ultimate half hour, having simply recovered from an ankle damage, however he was additionally pissed off in entrance of aim.

Still, the star duo of Neymar and Mbappé made an influence by performing because the help solid, creating the objectives that saved PSG heading in the right direction for a primary European Cup so as to add to this season’s home trophies.

PSG will play Atlético Madrid or Leipzig within the semifinals on Tuesday.

The lack of entry to the stadium didn’t deter Atalanta followers flying from northern Italy to the Portuguese capital, even when it was simply to cheer for the fleeting moments when the staff bus handed beneath them.

They can have one other probability subsequent season. A second consecutive third-place end in Serie A offers Atalanta a return ticket the Champions League.