Can Neymar lead Paris Saint Germain PSG to European glory, Could this be the perennial French champions year?
Certainly, that is a question yet to be answered since his big-money move to the French club in 2017. PSG are set to play newcomers RB Leipzig in the last four on Tuesday, August 18 in Lisbon.
They were almost dismantled by first-timers Atalanta last Wednesday, but swift seconds of brilliance from Marquinhos and former Stoke City striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting gave the French champions their semi-final ticket for the first time since 1994/95 season.
They have had great success by winning 18 of the 24 domestic trophies and seven Ligue 1 titles, in eight full seasons under Qatari owners.
But Champions League trophy has been the missing medal since PSG’s takeover by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011. They qualified for the quarter-finals in the first four years of Qatari ownership but missed out in the last 16 the following three seasons.
PSG made Brazil forward the world’s most expensive signing in 2017 for 222 million euros a world record yet to be matched.
They also acquired the signatures of France striker Kylian Mbappe for 180 million euros the second most expensive signing till date, in a bid to strengthen their European quest.
Neymar’s search for a champions league trophy has been fruitless, since winning it at Barcelona in 2015. He was in no doubt unlucky in the Champions League and missed the game in which they were eliminated in his first two seasons as a result of an injury.
The French champions could not have hoped for a more favourable Champions League semi-final than RB Leipzig, but can the first-timers rain on their parade?
The German club was formed in 2009 and had only won two matches in Europe’s elite club competition before this season, but losing their all-time top scorer Timo Werner to Chelsea makes it almost impossible to get past the French champions.
However, Leipzig defeated Atletico Madrid, who conquered last season’s champions Liverpool and twice finalists. German champions Bayern Munich or Olympique Lyonnais await the winner in the final.
Will PSG be victorious after a long wait? Only time will tell!
PSG has a whole lot to do in terms of being clinical in front of goals, more tactical cohesion and defensive focus when they take to field in the semi finals and looking to book their place in the finals and lifting UCL.Neymar is capable of leading the lads to glory but a whole lot rests on his teammates.
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