Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) stepped into the final after a 3-0 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League semi-final at the Da Luz Stadium, Lisbon, Portugal, Wednesday (19/8).
These results made PSG the first team to step into the top party. Les Parisiens is waiting for the winner of the Olympique Lyon vs Bayern Munich match on Thursday (20/8).
PSG started the match against Leipzig well. Starting from Kylian Mbappe’s breakthrough bait, Neymar almost gave PSG the lead if his shot didn’t hit the Leipzig goal post in the sixth minute.
Two minutes later, Mbappe managed to break into Peter Gulacsi’s goal. However, the referee disallowed the goal because Neymar was thought to have done handball when he tried to block Gulacsi’s shot before the goal was scored.
Leipzig tried to respond to PSG’s insistent pressure. Opportunities were obtained by Marcel Sabitzer who took a speculative shot from outside the penalty box but his shot was still too weak and was easily tamed by Sergio Rico.
PSG’s long-awaited goal came in the 13th minute. Angel Di Maria’s dead ball execution was greeted by Marquinhos’ header into the left corner of the goal to change the score to 1-0.
PSG released pressure again after winning 1-0. This time the opportunity to increase the score was obtained by Mbappe but his shot from close range was still saved by Gulacsi.
Leipzig, who relied on a counter-attack, almost equalized in the 26th minute. Conrad Laimer penetrated from the right flank but Yussuf Poulsen failed to make the most of his pass.
Poulsen’s shot from close range was only thin to the left of Rico’s goal.
Ten minutes before the first half ended, Neymar had a chance to bring PSG up 2-0. The Brazilian star cleverly fired a free-kick at the near post which outwitted Gulacsi.
It’s just that Neymar’s shot, which Gulcasi couldn’t read, still hit the goalpost.
PSG could only lead 2-0 in the 42nd minute. The goal that increased PSG’s lead was scored by Angel Di Maria after receiving Neymar’s heel. Di Maria’s goal came from Gulacsi’s mistake when he tried to give a player to a teammate.
The 2-0 score for PSG’s advantage over Leipzig lasted until the first half ended.
In the second half, it was increasingly difficult for PSG to catch Leipzig in the second half. Juan Bernat put his name on the scoreboard after receiving Di Maria’s cross in the 57th minute.
Winning 3-0 did not make PSG players satisfied. Several opportunities were obtained by Leandro Paredes until Mbappe but had not managed to produce a fourth goal.
On the other hand, Leipzig, who were already far behind, only occasionally applied pressure, including Emil Forsberg’s shot, which Rico could still blocked. Julian Nagelsmann’s squad’s efforts to score goals were fruitless and had to be eliminated with a crushing defeat to PSG.
