That was a start. The first quarter-finals of the Champions League tournament in Lisbon only offered rudiments of high-quality football. But tension - with a better ending for Paris Saint-Germain. Just in time for my birthday.
Lisbon (AP) - The first semi-finalist of this extraordinary season in the Champions League has been determined. Paris Saint-Germain struggled for a long time on Wednesday evening against the supposed outsider Atalanta Bergamo and only scored late to 2-1 (0-1) victory.
The club of the German trainer Thomas Tuchel - long time series champion in France - entered the premier class for the second time since 1995, just in time for the anniversary of the club's founding on August 12, 1970. "We will not forget this birthday," said Tuchel.
THE GAME
In the early stages, PSG didn't look like the favorite at all. Atalanta played more snappy, more aggressive and was not impressed by the big Parisian names. Mario Pašalić (27th minute) took the lead. Paris then relied on individual actions by superstar Neymar and only got better after a good hour. When Bergamo thought they were almost in the semi-finals, Marquinhos (90th) shocked the Italians with the equalizer, former Bundesliga player Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (90th + 3) took advantage of the confusion before the game could go into extra time. "I never thought about leaving," said Neymar afterwards. "Never mind going home."
THE MATCHWINNER
Would Choupo-Moting have dreamed that? The 31-year-old was always considered a good Bundesliga player, he was under contract with Hamburger SV, 1. FC Nürnberg (on loan) and FC Schalke 04 - but also with FSV Mainz 05. His coach at the time: Thomas Tuchel. And he never forgot the technically strong offensive player and brought him from Stoke City to the glittering French capital in 2018. Although Choupo-Motting's contract expires at the end of the premier class tournament, he certainly has a place in the club's history books.
THE DISAPPOINTED
All of Italy, it was said, keep their fingers crossed for Atalanta Bergamo. The team around full-back Robin Gosens, who could celebrate his debut in the German national team at the upcoming international matches in September, played a strong season in Serie A and the Champions League. Bergamo is also one of the cities in the world hardest hit by the corona pandemic. But it wasn't enough for the finished fairy tale - two small mistakes in Lisbon stood in the way.
THE COOLBOX
That should not have been easy for Thomas Tuchel. The 46-year-old is a trainer with body and soul and usually feverishes on the sidelines for every action by his team. But not on Wednesday. The coach had suffered a metatarsal fracture the week before, so he had to wear a thick splint and could only walk on crutches. Tuchel spent most of the game sitting on a box. That didn’t affect the joy. "We are very happy to be part of this story," he said. "Sometimes it is difficult to understand from outside how much work is in there. This is a great success and a very, very big step for us."
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