RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann was exasperated after edging past Atletico Madrid to book their first-ever semifinal berth in the UEFA Champions League. The German club on Thursday defeated the Spanish giants Atletico 2-1 in the quarterfinals in Lisbon.
“We’re very happy and I’m so proud of the group. We defended with a lot of passion and were the better team against a very good and experienced side. We were brilliant,” Nagelsmann was quoted as saying on the official website of RB Leipzig.
“We got off to a strong start and were highly-motivated. The boys stayed calm, which is great to see. I was happy that the match didn’t go into added time. This way, we can save our strength for the upcoming game,” he added.
Tyler Adams and Dani Olmo were on the scoresheet for Leipzig, while Joao Felix scored the only Altetico goal from the 12 yards spot.
The victory will see RB Leipzig playing their first ever match in the top four of Europe’s premier club competition within just 11 years of their formation and four years of featuring in top-flight football. Leipzig will now face French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), another first time semi-finalists.
“Paris Saint-Germain are a top-level side with a top-notch coach. They have a lot of quality and are a threat right until the final minute. You saw that during the match against Atalanta Bergamo. They have a star-studded squad,” Nagelsmann explained.
“We will need to give it 100 per cent, but we are looking forward to the match and will go in highly-motivated,” he added.