On the large rectangular table in the center of the dressing room in Parc des Princes, Kylian Mbappe and Presnel Kimpembe jump as much as possible. Water is thrown on them, Sergio Rico joins them, as does Idrissa Gueye and Rafinha. Other players and staff hit the table to the rhythm as they sing: “We are in the semifinals! We are, we are, we are in the semifinals!”
Marquinhos in his flawless white hoodie is there too. He was injured and missed Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich – a result good enough to get Paris Saint-Germain into the next stage of the Champions League on away goals – but we got his vote listen to the stands. encourage his teammates.
Leandro Paredes, one of the leaders of this team, keeps shouting “Vamos! Vamos!” every time he hugs a teammate. Nasser al-Khelaifi, the PSG president, greeted each player in the locker room again and then congratulates each and every one of them a second time by walking around the place like Leonardo, the sporting director.
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Manager Mauricio Pochettino has to leave to do all of his post-game media duties, but the big smile on his face says it all. This is a happy changing room – a very happy changing room. PSG are in the semi-finals of the Champions League for the second time in a row and are slowly but surely consolidating their place among the top European clubs and long-term Champions League competitors.
2 relatives
This time they got there on the right track; over two legs, first against Lionel Messi and now against Bayern, the world and European champions. Every time it was a real battle, an exciting scenario. In both relationships, however, the spirit and solidarity of Paris Saint-Germain prevailed.
Of course, Kylian Mbappe and Keylor Navas were the heroes of the two games against Barcelona and that in Munich. Remarkably, the Costa Rica goalkeeper has yet to lose a two-legged Champions League draw that he played in. And Neymar, who was voted Man of the Game on Tuesday, was the star of the show again, even if he should have at least one of the opportunities he created.
However, Paris went through because they played primarily as a team. This is the message that Pochettino has been conveying to his players since day one: we can have great individuals like Neymar, Mbappe or Angel Di Maria, but we can only go far if we do all of this together, otherwise it won’t be possible.
Halfway through the first leg, when Bayern dominated the game, he urged his men to stay calm and score again and win. It happened. On Tuesday, Pochettino told them they could handle the pressure in the second half after Bayern took the lead just before the break. And they did.
This PSG team won because it has become a definition of mental and collective strengths with particular talents within the group.
Neymar and Leandro Paredes are celebrating full-time after PSG held on to eliminating defending champions Bayern and taking a bit of revenge for last season’s defeat in the final. Alexander Scheuber – UEFA / UEFA via Getty Images
Of course, they benefited from all of Bayern’s missing players (Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka), but the Parisians also had problems. They didn’t have Marco Verratti or Alessandro Florenzi for either game, while Marquinhos only lasted 30 minutes in the first leg and is now out until the semi-final first leg. Paredes, who made Pochettino such an important part of the team, was suspended from the game last week.
Paris had their problems but they rose above them to make sure their Champions League adventure continued. Before this second leg, Joshua Kimmich – arguably the best number 6 in the world – said he was “convinced that Bayern would come through because they are the best team in the world”.
Let’s just say these comments didn’t go unnoticed, especially from Neymar, who used them as additional motivation.
And when Daniele Orsato, who lost eight months ago as a referee in the Champions League final to the Germans, whistled for the last time on Tuesday evening in the Parc des Princes, the Brazilian superstar celebrated with Paredes almost in front of Kimmich’s face – a scenario of which Neymar said it was fateful.
“It’s funny because I didn’t even party to mess with him, but rather with Leo, and I ended up partying with him. It was fate that brought me close [Kimmich]”Said Neymar after the game.
On Tuesday night there was an element of vengeance, even if no payers really said so. The demons of Remontada 2017 against Barcelona are gone after the last 16 of this season. The ghosts of the 2020 final against Bayern have also disappeared. Earlier this season, the team also sent the bad memories against Manchester United in 2019 by winning at Old Trafford.
It’s been a season of retribution in the Champions League for Paris and now they are unstoppable, even though Pochettino insists they aren’t the favorites to win.
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