Paris Saint-Germain beat RB Leipzig 3-0 in the first semifinal, as Marquinhos, di Maria and Juan Bernat scored for the French team.
With this victory, PSG become the first French team after Monaco to make it to UEFA Champions League final in 2004, and the fifth French team to play in final in the history of Champions League.
Many expected it would be a semifinal fiercely contested between two of the most attacking sides of World football. But it turns out to be a comprehensive victory for Ligue 1 champions, perhaps decided well before the half-time break.
PSG vs RB Leipzig
It was a contest between quality and exuberance, and the PSG did not allow their second choice keeper Sergio Rico to be tested once in the match.
Brazilian superstar Neymar and French World cup winner Kylian Mbappe might not have scored but their presence and moves were enough to unsettle the young German team. Apart from first goal, the other two goals can be attributed to defensive mistakes of RB Leipzig, and PSG did not hesitate to reap full benefit of those critical errors.
Neymar and Mbappe
There were all indication from the very beginning as Neymar missed one golden chance minutes from the start. Few minutes later, Mbappe was unlucky to get his goal ruled out for a handball by Neymar, when he was trying to block the Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi from clearing the ball.
Neymar could provide the lead to PSG, but his freekick from 30-yards hit the right post while catching Peter Gulacsi completely dumbfounded.
Angel di Maria
But it was Angel di Maria who stole the show with two assists and one goal. First he set it up for Marquinhos header from a free kick, then he scored a goal from Neymar flick just minutes before the break.
In the second half, again he set it up for Juan Bernat header to seal the match.
He was not eligible to play in quarter-final due to suspension, and that perhaps motivated the Argentine further for the match.
We’re very happy. It’s a first for the club. We worked hard and played a great game. We want to make history for the club. We succeeded tonight and we’re in the final – that’s very important
Angel di Maria, Paris Saint-Germain
Tuchel and Nagelsmann
It was a battle of strategies and tactics. Despite the absence of Marco Verratti, PSG imposed authority in midfield. The quality of his forward line helped the cause a lot.
PSG held 58% of the ball possession and had 9 of their attempts on-target, as compared to 3 for RB Leipzig.
I was never relaxed, but how we defended was also the most important thing for me. We had a good mix between determination, spirit and quality.
We stayed faithful to our style of play. When possible, we looked to control the half-spaces and control their counterattacks. And we used the acceleration of Angel, Kylian and Neymar with the ball between the lines.
We didn’t make big tactical changes. Yes, we adapt to all our opponents, but not too much. We have to show our strength, and the players again showed their hunger to win, work together and suffer.
Thomas Tuchel, PSG Manager
Julian Nagelsmann who faced his mentor in opposition bench, accepted the result gracefully,
We won’t be the first team not to stop Neymar and we won’t be the last. As a coach you think about the next challenges. There’s a lot of positive things we take with us.
Julian Nagelsmann, RB Leipzig Manager
Team
Paris Saint-Germain: Rico; Kehrer, Kimpembe, Thiago Silva, Bernat; Herrera (Verratti 83), Marquinhos, Paredes (Draxler 83); Di Maria (Sarabia 87), Mbappe (Choupo-Moting 86), Neymar
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi; Klostermann (Orban 83), Upamecano, Mukiele; Laimer (Halstenberg 62), Kampl (Adams 64), Sabitzer, Angelino; Olmo (Schick 46), Nkunku (Forsberg 46); Poulsen
