Paris Saint-Germain produced a stunning late comeback to beat Atalanta 2-1 in their Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon on Wednesday with substitute Eric Choupo-Moting scoring the winner in the third minute of injury time.
Atalanta were on the brink of extending their remarkable European run on into the last four after Mario Pasalic gave the Italians a 27th-minute lead in the first game of the ‘Final Eight’ at an empty Estadio da Luz.
PSG were on the verge of another disappointing Champions League exit till close to the 90th minute.
But the French side were rescued as Marquinhos came forward to scramble in a last-minute equaliser and they did not even need extra time to complete the turnaround, as Kylian Mbappe set up fellow substitute Choupo-Moting to win the game at the death.
This is the club’s first semi-final since 1995 and the first since they were taken over by Qatari owners, who pumped in money for the elusive Champions League trophy. The dream might finally come true this year, where the knockouts are one-off games in Lisbon due to the coronavirus pandemic.
They will play RB Leipzig or Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the dramatic win for PSG and heartbreak for Atalanta.
A special day!
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 12, 2020
Our 5⃣0⃣th anniversary and qualification to the semi-finals of the Champions League 🎉
🔴🔵 #ParisEstMagique pic.twitter.com/cIiFWSDG7Q
It’s hard to wake up like this, suddenly. It hurts, it burns. But the memory of an incredible and extraordinary dream stays, as stays the awareness that we can and want to dream again. 💔👊#UCL #GoAtalantaGo ⚫️🔵 pic.twitter.com/m4IGXx8JAI
— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) August 13, 2020
Neymar + Mbappé = 🔥🔥
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 12, 2020
𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙.#UCL pic.twitter.com/Pvq2FAI8Vv
⏰ 89th minute - Atalanta lead 1-0
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 12, 2020
⏰ 90th minute - Atalanta 1-1 PSG
⏰ 93rd minute - PSG lead 2-1
The #UCL serves up another memorable quarter-final 🔥😅 pic.twitter.com/Zi2HC9qMA0
149 - There were just 149 seconds between Marquinhos scoring PSG's equaliser and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scoring their winner to send the French side through to the semi finals of the UEFA Champions League. Drama. pic.twitter.com/dbdHNC7rqs
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 12, 2020
2012-13 👉 Quarter-finals
— MSportOfficial (@MSportOfficial) August 13, 2020
2013-14 👉 Quarter-finals
2014-15 👉 Quarter-finals
2015-16 👉 Quarter-finals
2016-17 👉 Last 16
2017-18 👉 Last 16
2018-19 👉 Last 16
2019-20 👉 Semi-finals
For the first time in the Qatari era, PSG have qualified for the last four of the UCL. pic.twitter.com/bUSN8pw7Od
Wow. @PSG_English do to Atalanta what teams have done to them so many times in the Champions League. Tuchel loves a one-legged tie.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 12, 2020
16 - Neymar completed 16 dribbles against Atalanta tonight, the most by a player in a single Champions League match since Lionel Messi v Manchester United in April 2008. Twist. #ATAPSG pic.twitter.com/WpT1ONRZVV
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 12, 2020
Neymar has shown again he is, apart from Messi, the player that creates more magic and provokes more chances in the world (what a pass to Mbappe!), plus he has enough personality to take any team on his shoulders. Imagine if had been more accurate today. Extraordinary footballer
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) August 12, 2020
Neymar and Mbappe is what quality gets you. The big difference tonight.
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) August 12, 2020
MY HOW THINGS CAN CHANGE pic.twitter.com/gVSIMWblc9
— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) August 12, 2020
Neymar gave his Man of the Match award to Choupo-Moting 🤗 pic.twitter.com/q19juEI4CN
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 12, 2020
Neymar - £198m
— BenchWarmers (@BeWarmers) August 12, 2020
Mbappe - £189m
Choupo-Moting - Priceless pic.twitter.com/s80Qxa8FFe
📅 May 2018:
— SPORF (@Sporf) August 12, 2020
📉 Relegated to the Championship with @StokeCity
📅 August 2020:
🇪🇺 Scores the winning goal to send @PSG_Inside to their first @ChampionsLeague semi-final in 25 years!
🤩 Amazing, Maxim Choupo-Moting! pic.twitter.com/XLDrGFr0hO
Neymar is really the biggest big game player of all time. Barca were trailing against PSG, man took the game into his hands and delivered.
— Neymar PR (@BagOfNuts_) August 12, 2020
PSG were trailing against Dortmund, he initiated a comeback.
Against Atalanta in the last minutes, he initiated a 2 goal comeback.
GOAT.
Neymar vs. Atalanta [PSG rank]:
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 12, 2020
29 attempted final third passes [1st]
23 attempted take-ons [1st]
19 accurate final third passes [1st]
16 completed take-ons [1st]
9 fouls suffered [1st]
6 shots attempted [1st]
3 chances created [=1st]
2 shots on target [=1st]
Phenomenal. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/sLvNvNRVKo
Mbappe superb. Far from fully fit but pace, vision and cross brilliant for #PSG winner. Gut-wrenching for #Atalanta who’ve been a joy this season but how do you stop a £162m talent like Mbappe with that sort of control and running? Still only 21.
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) August 12, 2020
PSG's bench lost their mind after Choupo-Moting's winner 🔊 pic.twitter.com/2XXG3BbhGC
— DAZN Canada (@DAZN_CA) August 12, 2020
Its a cruel old game. Atalanta looked in line for a night of glory then it was snatched away at the very last moment by PSG. Atalanta will look back on a great season for a small club that will not make up for letting this one slip away. PSG will be delighted they escaped.
— Tommy Smyth (@TommySmythESPN) August 12, 2020
Heart breaks for Atalanta. Tiny team from Bergamo, Italy's Covid Capital, were a light in darkness for 90 minutes, leading mighty PSG 1-0, only to concede two in injury time. Still showed world best traits of Lombardy: Resilience, Heart and Courage. Values that transcend Sport 🇮🇹
— roger bennett (@rogbennett) August 12, 2020
As much as Atalanta showed heart, if you're an independent viewer - you want to watch PSG in the Champions League.
— Koshiek Karan (@iamkoshiek) August 12, 2020
That's football!
— Abdulfatai | Arowolophotography (@arowolo_fatai) August 12, 2020
Never say never
It's not over until it is over!
89: Atalanta 1:0 PSG
90: Atalanta 1:1 PSG
90+2: Atalanta 1:2 PSG
Can’t write the script for the UCL ever!!!#ATAPSG pic.twitter.com/cCaYBzngqV
A word on Atalanta
So heartbreaking for Atalanta. To be injury time away from beating the oil-rich PSG without your 2 best players & to lose like that is so unfair. Thanks for everything you’ve given us this season. You made us dream for a while that football isn’t just money #ATAPSG
— Carlo Garganese (@carlogarganese) August 12, 2020
Great drama in that PSG win. Those two late goals disguised fact that they were mostly awful until Mbappe came on. Felt for Atalanta. Cruel way to go out.
— Ian Darke (@IanDarke) August 12, 2020
Genuinely the maddest finish of my career so far, turning 'Aren't Atalanta brilliant' to a 'PSG winning 2-1' piece for print deadline. Love it, but bloody hell.
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) August 12, 2020
I do not understand how Atalanta didn’t win that game 1-0. I also do not understand how PSG didn’t win that game 5-1.
— Sam's Army Podcast (@samsarmy) August 12, 2020
Atalanta's first ever Champions League season:
— bet365 (@bet365) August 12, 2020
Qualified from Group C despite losing their first three games.
Scored EIGHT goals in a knockout tie against Valencia.
Went toe-to-toe with PSG and were moments away from reaching the semi-final.
A great achievement.#UCL #ATAPSG pic.twitter.com/MT70o58dLj
PSG won the match but ATALANTA won our hearts 😪 #ATAPSG pic.twitter.com/Db1h40NVri
— Ravs (@Ravs53140499) August 13, 2020
This was Atalanta’s first year in the Champions League. They lost their first three group-stage matches by a combined 11-2.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 12, 2020
They battled back and were minutes away from the semi-finals 💔 pic.twitter.com/97wfDyFZrD
PSG spent more on Neymar and Mbappe than Atalanta have spent on their entire squad since 2001-02 😳 pic.twitter.com/CWKjBypiG1
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 12, 2020
❌ Lost their 1st 3 @ChampionsLeague games.
— SPORF (@Sporf) August 12, 2020
🤝 Drew their 4th game.
🙌 Qualified against the odds.
🔥 @SerieA top goalscorers.
🤯 Scored 116 goals this season.
😔 Out to 2 late goals.
👏 What a season from @Atalanta_BC. pic.twitter.com/qPzHUl8yZH