Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Julien Pretot

PSG players celebrate with fans despite coronavirus fears after beating Dortmund in Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain players climbed up a Parc des Princes stand overlooking the street where thousands of fans waited for them after they qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals in an empty stadium amid coronavirus fears on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, defender Laywin Kurzawa left the stadium to celebrate with fans outside the Parc des Princes.

The French champions beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to secure a 3-2 aggregative victory and erase memories of embarrassing last-16 exits against Barcelona and Manchester United in 2017 and 2019.

Brazilian forward Neymar, who scored PSG's first goal, burst into tears as his team mates cheered the flare-throwing fans from the top of the Auteuil stand.

"We have values and we have character," said centre back Marquinhos, who captained the team in the absence of the injured Thiago Silva.

"We heard the fans, we saw them before the game, I had never seen that before.

"It is what football is about, it's about passion, that's what we're here for."

The wild celebrations demonstrated PSG's relief after traumatic recent exits from Europe's most prestigious club competition at the last-16 stage.

In 2017, PSG were eliminated 6-5 on aggregate by Barcelona after letting slip a 4-0 advantage, and last season they lost to Manchester United on away goals after a 2-0 win at Old Trafford in the first leg.

Club president Nasser al-Khelaifi admitted his side had doubts before kickoff due to their recent history.

"It was a great game, we had doubts," he said.

"The supporters were not in the stadium but they were in our hearts. We felt their strength, it was the perfect game."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.