Atalanta Late Show Proved PSG Have Overcome European Inferiority Complex

As the final whistle beckoned on an empty Estádio da Luz on Wednesday night, L'Equipe and the rest of the French media pack were readying themselves for yet another Paris Saint-Germain lambasting.

The headlines were inevitable: calling for the head of Thomas Tuchel, decrying Neymar as a bottler, criticising the overwhelming individualism coming at the detriment of the collective once more. It was obvious what would be slapped on the back pages across France if Mario Pasalic's superbly taken opener had proved to be the winner.

This PSG outfit are cut from different cloth though.

This is an outfit unrecognisable from the side that succumbed to 'La Remontada' three years ago, or even the unit which collapsed in their own backyard against a poor Manchester United team last March.

In a chaotic two-and-a-half-minute spell to round off a majestic quarter-final spectacle, PSG swiftly turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 advantage thanks to goals from Marquinhos and former Stoke icon Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

Thus, Les Parisiens are now into their maiden Champions League semi-final since the Qatari takeover, and their first since 1995. A weakened RB Leipzig or COVID-struck Atletico Madrid await French football's monopolisers in the last four. Simply put, Thomas Tuchel's men have never had a greater chance to reach the pinnacle of club football.

The Atalanta late show means the 'serial bottlers' tag should start to fade, although there were times on Wednesday night where PSG's inferiority complex in regards to the bright lights of the European stage reared its ugly head once more; most notably with superstar Neymar squandering a pair of glorious opportunities before Pasalic's splendid 26th-minute opener.

Despite PSG's high-quality chances, La Dea's lead was a deserved one on the balance of play.

Gian Piero Gasperini unsurprisingly refused to budge from the ideals which have cemented Atalanta as the continent's supreme entertainers. The diamond rotations worked a treat in regards to ball progression down the flanks, Papu Gomez continued to serve as the spare man constantly manipulating space and facilitating overloads, while their aggressive press and man-marking out of possession often thwarted PSG in the build-up phase. It was great fun...although their high-risk, high-reward defensive system arguably led to the aforementioned openings worked by the French outfit.

Gasperini's man-to-man approach meant the German boss' more harmonious attacking concepts were almost made redundant. The gameplan was clear: it was Neymar or bust. Let your bona fide superstar win his individual battle. A one-legged Tuchel was almost helpless.

That isn't to suggest the German string-puller took a fairly primitive approach to attempting to overturn a 1-0 deficit. It was completely reasonable to allow the Brazilian superstar to serve as the protagonist and, in the end, the 28-year-old's display in Lisbon will be remembered as one of the finest in for some time.

Sure, he may have 'bottled' a one-v-one with Marco Sportiello with barely two minutes on the clock, but his work in the 88 (-plus) minutes which ensued was nothing short of spectacular.

As he continued to wonder why he was on the same field as Ander Herrera - who questionably started ahead of the flawed but technically proficient Leandro Paredes - Neymar dazzled beyond Gasperini's nicheness and the aggression of the Atalanta players with ease, whether dropping deep to receive or smartly positioning himself between La Dea lines before embarking on sequences of supreme samba silk.

He broke between the lines and beat defenders time and again, but Mauro Icardi's anonymity and Pablo Sarabia's sheer irrelevance meant that Neymar's magic failed to reap any sort of tangible reward.

However, the arrival of the generationally gifted Choupo Mot-- sorry, Kylian Mbappe on the hour mark signalled a change. Laurel now had his Hardy, Ant now had his Dec and Kevin now had his Perry.

Simultaneously, Atalanta lost their own dictator in Gomez, as the scintillating harmony between two of Europe's greatest protagonists altered the contest dramatically. It was total French superiority from then on. Despite their slender advantage, La Dea continued to surrender way too much space to an even more potent PSG outfit and their inability to break efficiently - with the departure of Gomez proving detrimental - allowed Les Parisiens to sustain attacks at ease.

From plucky underdog brilliance in the first half, Gasperini's approach drifted into naivety as the contest wore on, and they were made to pay.

There was a hint of good fortune in Marquinhos' 90th-minute leveller as the Brazilian tapped home from Neymar's scuffed cross/shot, but there was no disputing the brilliance on display for Choupo-Moting's dramatic winner moments later.

It was a breakaway led by Les Parisiens' number ten, who cut inside Mattia Caldara before manipulating possession superbly to find Julian Draxler. The ball remained with Tuchel's men despite Draxler's poor control, and when Thilo Kehrer brought down Rafael Toloi's clearance, his task was clear: find Neymar.

He did, spotting the Brazilian loitering on the edge of the Atalanta box. When the ball arrived, all it took was a touch to control, Mbappe's supreme off-ball movement and a through ball delivered with the utmost precision to find the Frenchman in behind José Luis Palomino. Mbappe's cross for Choupo-Moting was simple but perfect, and the substitute proved the unlikely hero from close range.

It was a chaotic turn of an events which markedly changed perceptions of Neymar's imperious showing. From flashy bottler to match-winner, the Brazilian's display epitomised PSG's alteration in mental fortitude.

Les Parisiens have discovered a new-found steel and Italian grinta which was teased in their second-leg victory over Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16. It was the first time in the latter stages of European competition where PSG looked to have established a healthy equilibrium of pure individualistic talent and functionality. And although the idea of a collective was merely the relationship between Neymar and Mbappe on Wednesday night, it's clear Tuchel's side have overcome their greatest obstacle.

"We have crossed this threshold," the Brazilian superstar succinctly added post-match and he's absolutely right; this PSG side have overcome the mental barrier which had previously caused so much anguish.

The French supergiants have never had a greater shot at achieving their ultimate goal than in Lisbon over the next ten days, but you feel their supreme individualism will be the major factor in tasting European glory rather than collective harmony.