PSG breaks free, Mbappé runs hot
The first approach to the goal was on the other side after the star ensemble from the French capital had freed itself a little after about 15 minutes. Incidentally, the two “sixes” from PSG, Marco Verratti and Leandro Paredes, made sure of that with their enormous duel strength and clever space allocation. But the stars did not yet gild the preparatory work of their “adjutants”. Mbappé failed twice from the inside left by Real keeper Thibaut Courtois and Neymar’s shot from 17 meters in the 22nd minute was too weak to overcome the long Belgian in Real’s box.
Real did not have their first real chance until the 25th minute, when Benzema’s wonderful shot from 17 meters just missed the right corner of the goal. In the 34th minute of a lively and high-class duel, however, the bell rang – in the Real box. Mbappé had finally scored. But the goal didn’t count, and assist Nuno Mendes was just about offside.
Mbappe uses his third chance – 0: 1
In the 39th minute, however, neither Courtois nor an attentive linesman could prevent PSG from taking the lead. Again, unstoppable by the unfortunate Dani Carvajal, Mbappé was up and away. And this time he had enough time to spot Courtois and sink the ball in the bottom left corner to make it 0-1. It was the now well-deserved lead for PSG, who gradually got the game under control.
In the second half, it didn’t take long for Mbappé, who had been running hot for a long time, to celebrate again. Accurately passed by Neymar, the 23-year-old rounded Courtois and shot in the 53rd minute to make it supposedly 0-2. But here, too, the linesman was right when he raised the flag: Mbappé was just offside.
Donnarumma’s mistake puts Real in the game
After an hour of play, Real was actually defeated. The inferiority was too obvious. Suddenly PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma brought the opponent back into the match. The Italian hesitated too long when Benzema approached him. Donnarumma’s attempt at a pass went straight to Vinicius Junior, setting up Benzema to make it 1-1 from eight yards out.
Madrid, who were now playing without Toni Kroos, who was weak that day, had smelled a rat. Suddenly the energy was back. Only one goal was missing for extra time. This was first possible in the 73rd minute when Vinicius Junior failed his nerves in front of the PSG goal – he shot over it from six meters.
Benzema turns the game
Two minutes later, Benzema did better: After Luca Modric’s ingenious pass from the ground up, the Frenchman was suddenly free eight meters from the goal and shot in to make it 2-1. And just another minute later, Benzema struck a third time: after the kick-off, Vinicius Junior was sent straight back and the clumsy Marquinhos put the ball to the man of the match: Benzema hit the bottom right corner from 13 meters – 3:1.
Paris was shocked – but tried everything again. Mbappé increased spurt after spurt, but Real’s defense could no longer be outwitted. And when Messi curled a free kick from 23 meters just over the box in added time, it was over. The sensation was perfect: the star ensemble from Paris was eliminated.