After years of finding ways to get knocked out, French giants Paris Saint-Germain reached their first-ever Champions League final on Tuesday after thumping RB Leipzig 3-0 in the last four.
Nine years after Qatar Sports Investments bought a moribund mid-table Ligue 1 team and began turning them into the untouchable force in France, they are now one game away from winning the trophy that really matters to them.
PSG will face either Bayern Munich or Lyon in Sunday’s final in Lisbon thanks to goals from Marquinhos, Angel Di Maria and Juan Bernat.
Bayern take on PSG’s fellow French side Lyon on Wednesday.
For European newbies RB Leipzig, the semi-final proved to be one hurdle too much to surmount. A first-ever European semi-final was a step too far for Julian Nagelsmann’s young team, which featured seven outfield players aged between 21 and 24 in the starting line-up. With Timo Werner missing (having moved to Chelsea) they could not pose enough attacking threat against PSG, who were at times vulnerable defensively.
The night belonged to the rich attacking talent at PSG’s disposal with Di Maria, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe combining exquisitely on many occasions.
For Neymar, especially, the chance at European glory away from the shadows of Lionel Messi’s Barcelona is now ever closer after his world-record move to France.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the first UCL semi-final of 2019-’20:
PSG fans have gathered outside the team hotel to welcome the players on their return 🙌#UCLpic.twitter.com/glYYSCjRYs
— Goal (@goal) August 18, 2020
First European semi-final ✅
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 18, 2020
🔴⚪️ It was an unforgettable UCL journey for this Leipzig side that made history 👏#UCL pic.twitter.com/hp73EJZJ6D
Kudos, @RBLeipzig_EN. You can hold your heads up high after a remarkable #UCL campaign 👏
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) August 18, 2020
You did the #Bundesliga proud 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/sSiPq9vDav
Proud of this team ❤️💙 #psg #allezparis #parisestmagique #ucl #ps19 pic.twitter.com/2CKk6Wbv2j
— Pablo Sarabia Garcia (@Pablosarabia92) August 18, 2020
🔴🔵 No player has produced more assists in 2019/20 UCL season than Ángel Di María 🔝#UCL pic.twitter.com/hrZeNbr6Vx
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 18, 2020
It has been a long wait for PSG... They are absolutely loving it in the dressing room!
— Football on BT Sport #Club2020 (@btsportfootball) August 18, 2020
The Champions League final awaits! #Club2020 pic.twitter.com/qIeAOtheef
Thiago Silva’s last match for PSG will be a Champions League final, doesn’t get bigger than this.
— Brasil Football 🇧🇷 (@BrasilEdition) August 18, 2020
One goal and two assists.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 18, 2020
Don’t underestimate how important Angel Di Maria is to this PSG team 👏 pic.twitter.com/0BnQy3zCD5
21-year-old Kylian Mbappé's career by numbers so far:
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) August 18, 2020
❍ 217 games
❍ 130 goals
❍ 65 assists
❍ 4x Ligue 1 winner
❍ 3x Ligue 1 YPOTY
❍ 2x FIFPro World XI
❍ 2x French POTY
❍ 1x Golden Boy
❍ 1x Trophée Kopa
❍ 1x Ligue 1 POTY
❍ 1x World Cup
Now, a #UCL final awaits. pic.twitter.com/YSsU2Spxbg
🇩🇪 Julian Nagelsmann appreciation post:
— SPORF (@Sporf) August 18, 2020
🥉 Finished 3rd in the league,
❌ Only lost 7 games out of 47 games.
🇪🇺 Reached the #UCL Semi-Final.
👏 Still only 33. pic.twitter.com/yqAfKBXupo
PSG spent more on Neymar and Mbappe than RB Leipzig have spent on players in their entire history 🤯 pic.twitter.com/zPf19m0xjB
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 18, 2020
Gigi Buffon:
— Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) August 18, 2020
• Left Juventus for PSG to win the Champions League.
• Went back to Juventus to play alongside Ronaldo in the Champions League.
• Juventus get knocked out in the Round of 16 while PSG make it to the Champions League final this year.
You couldn’t write it. 😂😭😂 pic.twitter.com/yw7o1audrr
France Football is one win for PSG away from going back on their decision to not award the Golden Ball this year.
— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) August 18, 2020
PSG. Into the champions league final. About time.
— Michael Oti Adjei (@OtiAdjei) August 18, 2020
Thomas Tuchel has not got everything right in his 2 years at PSG, but where Pep Guardiola & Julian Nagelsmann 2nd-guessed themselves, the German stuck to his guns, achieving this level of success despite never having full control of transfer policy (only Kehrer & Gueye are his).
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) August 18, 2020
Barça needs Neymar, Madrid needs Mbappé. PSG has both and I’m kinda afraid the duo knows how valuable they are not only individually, but also as a duo. As much as Madrid and Barcelona are the epotimy of football, why should they leave PSG.
— Xav Salazar (@XavsFutbol) August 18, 2020
Could this be PSG’s year?
— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) August 18, 2020
“Neymar needs Barcelona” narrative is finally squashed, Barcelona haven’t reached the Champions League final since Neymar left & the first season Neymar has fully fit he’s taken PSG to their first ever Champions League final.
— TC (@totalcristiano) August 18, 2020
On the face of it, PSG could be the most unpopular winners of the Champions League for the manufactured manner and sportswashing. Flip-side is millions of kids understandably idolise Mbappe and Neymar and those two are among a handful of players you get excited about seeing live.
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) August 18, 2020
Not only has Neymar won twice (8) as many trophies as Barca (4) since he left, he even made a CL final before them but we were told he killed his career by moving to PSG.
— Ryan. (@Rygista) August 18, 2020
PSG have equalled Real Madrid’s record of scoring in 34 consecutive European fixtures.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 18, 2020
Brief score:
UCL semi-final 1 at Estadio da Luz:
RB Leipzig 0 Paris Saint-Germain 3 (Marquinhos 13, Di Maria 42, Bernat 56)