PSG suffered a 2-1 defeat to Man City in Parc des Princes in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, leaving them with a mountain to climb in the return leg at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Neymar says the first thing to do now is to rest
Neymar says he will do whatever it takes to help Paris Saint-Germain beat Manchester City, even if that means he has to “die on the field”. PSG suffered a 2-1 defeat to Man City in Parc des Princes in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, leaving them with a mountain to climb in the return leg at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. Neymar remains optimistic that the French champions could advance to their second consecutive final, however, and has pledged to lead from the front in Manchester as Mauricio Pochettino’s side seek to complete the unlikely turnaround. Speaking after scoring in PSG’s 2-1 victory against Lens on Saturday in Ligue 1, the Brazilian said: “The first thing to do now is to rest and then really refocus on the Champions League.”
The Brazilian will do everything to bring this back
“We had a very tough first match against Manchester City, but we have to believe it no matter what the statistics say or our percentage of winning chances. I think every PSG fan should believe in us and I am on the front line, and I will be the first warrior to fight for the team. I will do my best, and I will do everything to bring it back, no matter what, even if I should to die on the field”. PSG came out the blocks faster than anyone in their first encounter with Man City and found themselves in front after just 15 minutes when Marquinhos rose to head home a spot in Di Maria’s corner.
The Brazilian took centre place as the hosts pushed for the second goal. Still, they were eventually punished for not taking advantage of their chances when Kevin De Bruyne cross, deceived Keylor Navas and sent the ball into the far corner of the net. Riyad Mahrez then gave Manchester City the lead with a superb free-kick before Idrissa Gueye was sent off for the Parisians, who must now score at least two goals at Etihad Stadium to have any hope of progressing. This week, whoever wins in Manchester will be rewarded with a match against either Chelsea or Real Madrid in the final, which is set to take place in Turkey, Istanbul, on May 29. Chelsea earned a 1-1 draw in Madrid in the first leg of their semi-final draw and therefore have a slight lead over the away goal rule, heading into the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge mid-week.