‘PSG were the better team’ – Nagelsmann understands RB Leipzig outclassed in Champions League semi-final

The German boss was aware of the gap between the two teams on the night and revealed the goals for his side next season

RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann has admitted PSG were the better team on Tuesday and deserved to qualify for the Champions League final.

The Bundesliga side were swept aside 3-0 in the semi-final at the Estadio da Luz, with Marquinhos, Angel Di Maria and Juan Bernat getting on the scoresheet, while Neymar and Kylian Mbappe also performed strongly in attack.

Nagelsmann felt his team started the match well but in the end had no answer for the quality shown by the Ligue 1 champions.

“At the end the ticket for the final for PSG is well deserved,” Nagelsmann told BT Sport. “[The] first 10-12 minutes we played well. PSG has so much quality and at the end they were the better team, but football is sometimes like that.

“We had to decide before the game if we wanted to attack early. In the first 10 minutes we had three or four good moments and made two or three big mistakes.

“When we conceded the second goal the belief of our players drained. At the end it was a question of character and we did well in the second half.”

Leipzig finish the season without winning a trophy, but impressed in their run to the Champions League last four, while they finished third in the Bundesliga and reached the DFB-Pokal round of 16.

Nagelsmann believed his team enjoyed a solid campaign and said they will be out to win trophies next season.

“It is not that easy to think of the good season but after a week it will be OK,” he said. 

“We are a young team and will try to do it well in the next season. The players can come back and we can try for the Bundesliga and the cup.”

Leipzig will go into next season without star striker Timo Werner, who joined Chelsea last month and did not finish the Champions League campaign with German side.

Three players will also return to their parent clubs after loan spells: Angelino (Manchester City), Patrik Schick (Roma) and Ethan Ampadu (Chelsea).

The new Bundesliga season is scheduled to begin on September 18.

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