Paris St Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino hailed an “amazing moment” after his side knocked holders Bayern Munich out of the Champions League on away goals to take their place in the semi-finals.
The Ligue 1 club had edged a thrilling first-leg clash 3-2 in Munich, which proved decisive after Bayern could only secure a 1-0 win at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night.
PSG were beaten by Bayern in the final of last season’s rescheduled tournament under former boss Thomas Tuchel.
ALLEZ PARIS 🍾❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/MI8b3UOmi5— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 13, 2021
Pochettino feels the squad have come a long way in the short time he has been at the helm after the Argentine former Tottenham manager was appointed at the start of January.
“It was a really tough match and I am really happy because the players deserve the credit. We are so happy for them, the club, the president,” Pochettino said on BT Sport.
“After three months working here we are enjoying the moment and if you qualify for the semi-finals then this is an amazing moment for us.
“When you are on the touchline, close to the pitch, it is not easy to enjoy it, but I try enjoy it every time.
“I am calm on the outside, but inside you are dealing with the stress of the competition, but that is the adrenaline of it that you love to feel and tonight was a fantastic game.”
Neymar was denied by the woodwork twice before Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting bundled the Germans in front on the night with a close-range header just before half-time.
Bayern, though, could not find another away goal as the French side, who had Mbappe’s late effort ruled out for offside, progressed to the semi-finals, where they will meet either Manchester City or Borussia Dortmund.
“The quality is there, and they work so hard,” Pochettino said of his side. “Our job is to try to put these type of talents, they are geniuses, to work like a team, with the ball they are of course fantastic.
“To feel that we are a team, that is the challenge for us, and at the moment we are so happy about that.”
Bayern were again without injured Poland forward Robert Lewandowski.
Coach Hansi Flick accepted his side had come up short, particularly in attack, and were left to count the cost of shortcomings from the first leg.
“Normally my team has so much quality in the final third, but today they were lacking that final punch,” Flick said in an interview with Sky Germany, quoted on www.uefa.com.
“We have to accept that, even though we would have like a different outcome.
“Given the first leg, with all our chances and the ones we gave away, without the third goal, we would be through.
“You saw how dangerous they are in attack. As a fair loser, I would like to congratulate them.”
