Neymar inspires late recovery, PSG reaches CL semis

Through so many exasperating moments in front of goal too many for the world's most expensive footballer Neymar persevered, determined to rescue Paris St Germain. Just when it seemed time was running out, the player signed to deliver PSG its most coveted trophy spared the French champions from a humbling Champions League (CL) exit against Atalanta.

A night of frustrating squandered scoring chances ended with Neymar setting up the goals that turned Wednesday's game around, producing a 2-1 victory that sent PSG into the semi-finals for the first time in 25 years.

"Nobody will ever get it out of my head that I want to go to the final," he said. "We're a formidable squad, a family, with the attitude that it's impossible to knock us out."

Atalanta, the Serie A club on a modest budget eclipsed by Qatar-funded PSG, had led from Mario Pasalic's curling strike in the 27th minute until the 90th. Neymar then found time to set up Marquinhos for the equaliser and was involved in the build-up to Eric ChoupoMoting's winner in the third minute of stoppage time.

Relief for Neymar. Agony for Atalanta. And all the emotions could be heard around the empty Lisbon stadium, with no fans allowed inside because of the coronavirus restrictions. "At this moment, it's quite painful," Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon said. "Tomorrow, I will be proud of our team and club but at this moment I feel disappointment."

The result is heartbreaking for Atalanta, who were hoping to continue their fairytale campaign for at least a few more days and give the people of Bergamo more reason to cheer.

The northern Italian city suffered terribly at the height of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year. Bergamo's death toll from Covid-19 has made it one of the worst-hit regions anywhere during the health crisis. "It leaves us with a very bad taste to have conceded that late winner when the match was about to finish," Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said. "That's what is really hurting us because until that moment we thought we were controlling the match."