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The PSG XI that reached the 2020 UEFA Champions League final
Blogs

The PSG XI that reached the 2020 UEFA Champions League final

05/05/24 11:28

Having lost 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final affair with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, PSG will be looking to turn the tie around at the Parc des Princes next week in order to reach the final of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since the 2019/20 season.

We take a look back at that PSG side who reached the Champions League final for the first and only time in the club’s history. The Parisians were ultimately beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich inside an empty Estadio da Luz during the Covid-19 pandemic.

GK: Keylor Navas

Having lost his place to Gianluigi Donnarumma as PSG’s number one, Navas spent the second half of last season in the Premier League following a deadline day loan move to Nottingham Forest in January 2023. The 37-year-old played a key role in Forest’s survival from relegation and quickly became a fans favourite at the City Ground. Navas returned to PSG in the summer and has played second fiddle to Donnarumma all season in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League.

RB: Thilo Kehrer

The German defender completed a £10m move to West Ham in the summer of 2022 and helped the Hammers to their first European trophy in 58 years last season after they beat Fiorentina 2-1 in the final of the Europa Conference League. Kehrer came on for the last half an hour that night and made eight appearances throughout the competition. The 27-year-old joined Monaco on loan in January and could potentially make the move permanent in the summer if the Ligue 1 side decide to take up their option to buy.

CB: Thiago Silva

Following the expiry of his PSG contract, Thiago Silva completed a free transfer to Chelsea just five days after the Parisians lost 1-0 to Bayern in the Champions League final. The veteran Brazilian defender went on to achieve with Chelsea what he was unable to do in Paris - win the Champions League. It was announced last week that the 39-year-old will leave the West London club at the end of the season and it has since been reported that Silva will re-join Brazilian side Fluminense on a two-year-deal.

CB: Presnel Kimpembe

The PSG academy graduate has endured a torrid spell on the sidelines due to an Achilles tendon rupture that has kept him out of action since February 2023. Kimpembe managed less than 1000 minutes of football last season and has missed the entirety of this campaign through injury. Despite this, December saw Kimpembe sign a new contract with PSG until 2026, a real show of faith from his boyhood club.

LB: Juan Bernat

Currently on loan at Benfica, Bernat has made just six appearances for the Portuguese giants this season due to an injury that has kept the Spanish left-back out of action since late October. The 31-year-old will have just a year left to run on his PSG contract when he returns to the French capital this summer with his future very much up in the air.

DM: Marquinhos

Following Thiago Silva’s departure in 2020, Marquinhos was appointed PSG’s club captain just a month after their Champions League final heartbreak in Lisbon. The Brazilian defender, who has made 440 appearances for PSG, has captained his side to three Ligue 1 titles and a French Cup trophy. Marquinhos remains a vital part of the squad under Luis Enrique and the 29-year-old will be hoping to lead his side to Champions League glory for the first time in the club’s history.

CM: Ander Herrera

The experienced Spanish midfielder now plies his trade at Athletic Bilbao after returning to the Spanish side in the summer of 2022. Herrera was part of the Bilbao squad that won the Copa del Rey for the 24th time in their history last month after they beat Mallorca in the final on penalties. Although he was an unused substitute that night, the 34-year-old has made 25 appearances for the Spanish side this season. And with his current contract set to expire this summer, Bilbao reportedly want to extend the former Manchester United midfielder’s stay at San Mames.

CM: Leandro Paredes

After a season-long loan at Juventus last season, Paredes completed a permanent move to Roma in the summer. The combative midfielder has made 45 appearances for a Roma side fighting for Champions League football next season and has contributed three goals and seven assists in all competitions. Paredes was part of Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning squad in Qatar, where he made five appearances.

RW: Angel Di Maria

Di Maria was also part of the Argentina squad that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and scored in the final against France. Just like Paredes, the 36-year-old winger spent last season at Juventus after moving there on a free transfer from PSG in the summer of 2022. The veteran winger has since returned to former club Benfica, and has contributed 16 goals and 15 assists in all competitions this season. Di Maria could be on the move again this summer with recent reports suggesting that Inter Miami have begun talks to sign him.

ST: Kylian Mbappe

Widely regarded as the best player in world football right now, Mbappe has been PSG’s main talisman for six years, having scored 255 goals for the French champions since his arrival from Monaco in 2018. However, Mbappe’s PSG career looks set to come to an end this summer, with the 25-year-old’s blockbuster move to Real Madrid edging ever closer. Winning the Champions League would certainly provide Mbappe with the perfect ending to his PSG career.

LW: Neymar

Although there was no doubting his quality, Neymar was certainly a controversial figure at PSG ever since his record move from Barcelona in 2017. After spending six years in the French capital, Brazil’s record goal scorer completed a €90m move to Al Hilal last summer. But the 32-year-old has been limited to just five appearances for the Saudi Arabian side after sustaining an ACL injury on international duty with Brazil back in October.

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