PSG beat Atalanta to secure first UCL semi-final spot in 25 years

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the French League champions, scored two goals in added time to earn a come-from-behind win over Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals tie on Wednesday at the Estadio da Luz in Portugal.

On the night of the French club’s 50th anniversary celebration, Atalanta scored in the 26th minute and maintained the lead for over 60 minutes before Thomas Tuchel’s side broke their hearts in an entertaining encounter, thanks to two late strikes from Marquinhos and Eric Choupo-Moting.

It will be the first time PSG will feature in the semi-finals of Europe’s premier club competition in 25 years, and also the first time since the glamorous club was bought by Qatari consortium in 2011.

In the first-ever one-legged UCL quarter-final tie, PSG dominated much of the encounter, especially after they went behind, and monopolized possession with 16 shots at goal, two of which finally found the net for a deserved victory.

For Atalanta, it was cruel heartbreak in a season they have mesmerized Italian football with 113 goals in all competitions before and after the lockdown despite Bergamo, their Italian region, being ravaged by COVID-19 pandemic.

At the start of the game, PSG should have taken the lead on four minutes but Neymar Jr., their talisman forward, missed an open chance to score. The Brazilian pounced on a loose ball on the halfway line and galloped unchallenged but shot wide from 16 yards.

Atalanta took the initiative afterward, creating opportunities at will and grabbing one through Mario Pasalic in the 26th minute. The former Chelsea youngster collected a Duvan Zapata pass and curled into the top corner from 16 yards for a 1-0 lead to the Italians.

Neymar Jr. had another opportunity similar to the first before the interval and the former Barcelona striker did not do any better, blasting wide from six yards with only the goalkeeper to beat.

PSG continued to dominate the game and the introduction of Kylian Mbappe on 60 minutes gave Tuchel’s side further inroads through Atalanta’s defence.

It was attack against defense as PSG pinned Atalanta back for an equalizer with substitutes Eric Choupo-Moting and Julian Draxler missing chance on goal with a header and long shot respectively.

They finally equalized a minute into added time of 90 minutes through Marquinhos. The defender diverted Neymar Jr.’s mishit cross into the net from two yards out.

The winner duly arrived two minutes later through Choupo-Moting. The Cameroonian slotted in Mbappe’s low cross to score the crucial goal that dashed the hopes of Atalanta.