Berlin: Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) lost 1-0 at home against Bayern Munich Tuesday but still dumped the title holders out of the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals from a 3-3 aggregate.
Former PSG player Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting headed home for Bayern in the 40th minute which wasn’t enough as the Germans had lost 3-2 at home a week ago, DPA reports.
Man of the match Neymar was denied twice by the woodwork as PSG reached the semis a third time to keep alive the dream of a first-ever Champions League title for the ambitious Qatari-owned club.
“I am very happy. We eliminated the European champion, a great team,” Neymar told RMC Sport. PSG are a great team. Now we are in the semi-finals and we dream bigger.”
The tie was a rematch of last year’s final which Bayern had won 1-0.
Chelsea meanwhile reached the last four for the first time since 2014, losing 1-0 against Porto from Mehdi Taremi’s late bicycle kick but going through 2-1 overall.
Chelsea next play record winners Real Madrid or compatriots Liverpool, who meet Wednesday at Anfield with Real 3-1 up.
PSG will be up against Manchester City or Borussia Dortmund, with Pep Guardiola’s City taking a slender 2-1 lead to Germany.
“We weren’t eliminated tonight, the result in Munich needed to be better. That was frustrating because we missed so many chances,” Munich captain Manuel Neuer told Sky TV after their exit.
“We’re on our last legs – it’s tough against such a top side, but the players gave everything on the pitch.”
Bayern were still without injured star striker Robert Lewandowski and coronavirus-infected Serge Gnabry, and midfielder Leon Goretzka was also not fit to play in their 100th Champions League knock-out match while PSG’s list of absentees included captain Marquinhos owing to a groin problem.
PSG did not sit back as Neuer saved from Neymar in a goalmouth scramble before the Brazilian was denied by the crossbar and the post.
Bayern’s 40th minute lead came out of the blue. David Alaba had a short-range shot saved well by Keylor Navas but Lewandowski’s replacement Choupo-Moting headed into the net on the rebound.
After the break Alaba aimed wide as Bayern went in search of the second goal they needed and Navas denied Thomas Mueller.
PSG started lurking for the counter as substitute Moise Kean fired high and Mbappe was ruled just offside after smashing high into the net but it didn’t matter in the end.
Both matches between Porto and Chelsea were played in Seville owing to coronavirus travel restrictions, and Porto aimed to try and overturn their two-goal deficit in what was Chelsea’s home leg.
Taremi’s spectacular goal in stoppage time came too late to deny Chelsea whose new manager Thomas Tuchel reached the last four the second straight year, having been in charge of PSG last year.
“We accepted what was needed was a tough, tough fight,” Tuchel told BT Sport. “Overall we deserved to beat Porto. It was a tough 180 minutes.”
IANS
