Tuesday, in Lisbon, the Paris-SG became the 5e French club to qualify for a Champions League final: it will be for Sunday against Olympique Lyonnais or Bayern Munich, battling on Wednesday, and it will have every chance of being more cotton than a semi-final which has saw the triple reigning French champions crush (3-0) RB Leipzig, obviously very light in the apprehension of the event, devoured collectively and in intensity, tied tight by the passing game of the Parisians. Neymar shone like a star, Angel Di Maria (suspended in the quarter-final last Wednesday, won 2-1 against Bergamo) showed clinical efficiency and the general impression was both studious and removed, as if this semi-final was just a step towards something else.
Kylian Mbappé good for service at kickoff, midfielder Leandro Paredes – Neymar’s friend – in the eleven rather than striker Mauro Icardi, out of form: reasoned option for the Parisian team. Who starts on the hats of wheels: a post of Neymar on a delicious service Mbappé (6e minute), a goal denied to the Brazilian (7e) for an involuntary hand on a counter release from the Leipzig goalkeeper, Peter Gulacsi… The German formation is very small, crushed by the event.
Match vibrant
Also, when Marquinhos, completely alone, heads back a free kick from Angel Di Maria on the left to put his team in control (1-0, 13e), the opening of the scoring is a matter of adventure as the game only goes in one direction – towards Gulacsi’s goal. It is much more than a technical or tactical superiority: a difference of determination, the Germans seeming to see themselves as breaking into this semi-final of the Champions League. Gradually, they will find some reasons for hope and, consequently, a new capacity. In front of the score, Andre Herrera and others do a little less. Above all, the Parisian left side gives shelter, which the duo Konrad Leimer – Marcel Sabitzer takes advantage of, plunging so much and more into the back of the left side of PSG Juan Bernat.
Neymar lights his second post of the evening (31e) on a free kick as far as it is off-center and the match is vibrant, nervous, relatively loyal to the bludgeoning of which Neymar is the victim. A recovery balloon lost 20 meters sends Leipzig into the hangers: a deviation in the heel of Neymar puts Di Maria in orbit, which doubles the price (2-0, 43e). At Lemons, PSG has a foot and a half in the final.
Then two when, at the 55e minute, the French defender – and ex of Montpellier – Nordi Mukiele falls without one really understanding why, inciting by his vehemence towards the referee (one made fault on me) his teammates to cut the gas. Bad idea: Di Maria, who doesn’t care about Mukiele, recovers the ball and crosses for Bernat. The Spanish side scores the 3e goal with a pricked head and video arbitration invalidates a possible offside since Mukiele, again, lying, covers everyone. The question is then to know how much the Paris-SG will put in. Gulacsi will save his team a good half-dozen times, most often in front of Mbappé. And Marco Verratti, supposedly injured in the calf, was offered ten minutes at the end of the game, which borders on the divine surprise on the Parisian side since the little Italian is by far their best midfielder, both in relentlessness defensive than in the use of the ball. On two, three gestures, Verratti had time to show that he was in the game. Good news in an ocean of bliss.
Gregory Schneider
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