PSG, Chelsea in Champions League semi-finals; Bayern, Porto bow out
Paris St Germain dismissed their reputation as Champions League chokers to reach the semi-finals of Europe’s premium club competition for the second year in a row by eliminating holders Bayern Munich on Tuesday. The French champions, who had lost their composure when it mattered in recent years, have now eliminated Bayern and Barcelona in the quarter-finals and the last 16, showing ruthless efficiency and proving steady in stormy weather.
While they need to address their home form as Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat by Bayern showed, Mauricio Pochettino’s team can be clinical, having beaten the German champions 3-2 in the first leg despite suffering throughout the match. In 2017, PSG lost 6-1 at Barca after winning their last-16 first leg 4-0, before choking again in a 3-1 home loss to Manchester United in 2019 after they had won the last-16 first leg 2-0 at Old Trafford.
There was none of that shaky attitude at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday despite the loss. Pochettino’s makeshift defence, in the absence of captain Marquinhos, rose to the occasion in a nail-biting finale with the attacking trio of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria always looking dangerous on the break. “PSG has grown. The club keeps growing day by day, year by year,” said centre back Presnel Kimpembe, who wore the captain’s armband. “We bounced back (from previous failures). Tonight (Tuesday) was war, and we won that war.”
Super goal not enough
The cross from the right was curling away from goal at shoulder height when Mehdi Taremi took off, connecting with a spectacular scissor kick that sent the ball into the top corner from 12m out. A beautiful goal— arguably the best in the Champions League this season—to settle an ugly match. It wasn’t enough for Porto.
Chelsea qualified for the semifinals for the first time since 2014 despite a 1-0 loss to the Portuguese champions on Tuesday, the English team going through 2-1 on aggregate to meet either Real Madrid or Liverpool for a place in the final. Aside from Taremi’s stunning, acrobatic effort in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, Chelsea successfully stifled Porto in what proved to be something of an arm-wrestle and was happy to rely on the away goals scored by Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell in the first leg, which was also played in Seville because of coronavirus restrictions.