¡La Remontada De París!
Wow! A truly thrilling end to a thrilling game culminated in Choupo-Moting’s injury time winner. In the space of 149 gripping seconds the game completely turned on its head and flipped from Bergamo to Paris in Lisbon! Let’s take a look at how it unfolded.
PSG had only played 2 competitive games in the months leading up to this game, but actually made a bright start, looking up to the task. Great play down the middle of the pitch set Neymar away, and after some brilliant control and pace to get into position...somehow missed the target by a considerable distance.
That miss seemed to galvanise Atalanta, who began to grow into the tie. They pressed PSG’s midfield hard, not allowing the French side to play through the thirds effectively. PSG, with Herrera, Gueye and Marquinhos in the middle struggled to retain possession and this gave Atalanta the initiative. They deservedly took the lead, when Zapata’s determined play ended up feeding Pašalić, who’s lovely left footed curler drifted beyond Navas into the far corner of the net.
By this point Neymar had missed another great chance, seizing upon a poor back pass to then fire waywardly high and wide past the Atalanta goal. PSG came out in the 2nd half facing another embarrassing exit, and knew they had to show grit and determination if they had any chance of overcoming the 1-0 deficit.
Full credit to Neymar Jr: He dazzled, delighted and inexplicably fluffed his lines in equal measure during the first half. With such a workman-like midfield, he constantly had to drop deep to instigate attacks, which he did to spectacular effect. The Atalanta midfield couldn’t get near him, with his close control and eye for a pass creating all of PSG’s real openings. 17 completed dribbles...a Champions League record which shows his drive, desire to get his team back into the game and a will to never give in. Criticise him if you must, but this showing was another reminder that on his day he is clearly the third best player in the world. But even Neymar, with his trickery, commitment and determination couldn’t do it alone. Enter Kylian Mbappé and...Choupo-Moting?
After Loïc Perrin’s horror tackle three weeks ago, we all assumed Mbappé would miss this tie, but he came on after the hour mark and helped change the flow of the game. His chemistry with Neymar is incredible, and the pair immediately began to terrorise the Atalanta backline. Mbappé’s combination of pace, power and outrageous intelligence meant Neymar now had another equally adept performer next to him, combining brilliantly for the winner.
Speaking of the winner, Choupo-Moting’s cameo speaks to his mentality and ability to rise above snarky ‘wet, cold, windy night in Stoke’ jibes. His cross for the first goal found Neymar at the back post, allowing Marquinhos to stab home, and his predatory instincts allowed him to be in the right place at precisely the right time to give PSG a famous win.
There was a touch of classic Manchester United, Real Madrid or indeed Barcelona about this last gasp win, with Marquinhos in the Sergio Ramos role, Neymar and Mbappé featuring as galacticos and Choupo-Moting the super sub to win it at the death. That PSG were able to complete their own Remontada speaks volumes to the mental strength of the group, and ability to face their Champions League demons head on. Yes, Atalanta sat too far back and gave PSG the initiative, and yes PSG were favourites, but managing to bottle it from favourable positions is exactly what they’ve done in the past, so it feels like a watershed moment.
Maybe the one off game suits PSG; they’ve often struggled over two legs to manage games and understand when to push and when to sit back, while here the requirement was clear. With talent such as Mbappé and Neymar upfront with Icardi in a support role, they have the firepower to knockout any team in Europe in 2 minutes and 29 seconds. With Thiago Silva at the back, they have an experienced leader determined to bow out with Mission Accomplished, and in Di Maria and Draxler they have creative midfield options who can come in and take some of the creative burden off Neymar’s shoulders. This is a team and a squad built to win the Champions League. Can they finally do it?
“Whatever happens, for us it won’t be a loss. Either we’ll win or we’ll learn.”
Last words must go to Atalanta. They have sparkled this year, shining a vibrant light on both domestic and European football this season. Their inexperience at this level told, as their uncharacteristic tactic to sit back and soak up pressure in the 2nd half proved costly. They seemed to run out of steam after their frantic pressing in the first half, and had nothing left to give when Choupo-Moting sealed their fate. La Dea have been a credit to their city of Bergamo, so horribly hit by Covid-19, and can take heart from their courageous performance. As Gasperini said before the game, “Whatever happens, for us it won’t be a loss. Either we’ll win or we’ll learn.” With 3rd place secured in Serie A, the hope is they’ll have learned a tremendous amount last night, and will be able to use that to improve even more heading into their Champions League campaign next season.