Paris Saint-Germain reached their first Champions League final with a dominant display to beat RB Leipzig 3-0 at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.
After all the wrong turns, all the heartache and disappointment, the humiliations and the turnarounds, Paris St.-Germain has finally done what it was designed and built to do. Nine years after it became home to one of the most expensive and ambitious projects in world soccer, the French champions have reached the Champions League final.
Marquinhos set Thomas Tuchel’s side on their way, heading home Angel Di Maria’s free-kick before Di Maria doubled PSG’s lead three minutes before the break following a mistake by Peter Gulacsi.
Juan Bernat glanced in PSG’s third 11 minutes into the restart from another Di Maria cross while Neymar struck the post twice in a one-sided semi-final.
PSG were on top of Leipzig right from the first whistle and maintained that momentum throughout the game. “We ate them up from minute one,” said the influential Di Maria. “It’s going to be tough to sleep between now and the final. We worked hard all game and we showed we deserve to be here. It doesn’t matter who we face: either Bayern or Lyon, we’ll give our all.”
The last time PSG reached the Champions League semi-finals in 1995, it was three years before Kylian Mbappe was born and 14 years before RB Leipzig even came into existence, but having left it late to book their place in the final four, this was a far more straightforward night for the Ligue 1 champions.
PSG boss, Thomas Tuchel, thrilled to guide his side to the clubs first Champions League final praised the industry of his players;
“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 Ángel [Di María], Kylian [Mbappé] and Neymar with the ball between the lines,” he said after the match.
“Football is for the fans. We do all this together. We can really feel that they’re with us and that they have confidence in us. I really hope they can feel that this team is a real team.”
Leipzig boss, Julian Nagelsmann, conceded PSG was the better side on the night and vowed to come back next season;
“We played a good season, we made it to the semi-finals in the Champions League which is a great achievement. We’re proud of that. We’re frustrated, of course, but we will gather new power ahead of next season. Our opponent today was stronger than us. It wasn’t easy to play them. We started OK but conceded the first goal from a set piece which made things difficult.
“We want to be back and experience the same again in the Champions League next season. Now it’s time for vacations for my players before coming together as a team and getting ready for next season.”
PSG will face either Bayern Munich or Lyon in the Champions League final at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on Sunday
