Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are NEVER going to leave: PSG President Al-Khelaifi

Paris Saint-Germain duo Kylian Mbappe and Neymar were crucial for the Ligue 1 champions on Wednesday as they came from behind to register a 2-1 win over Atalanta. The win sent PSG through to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Applauding the club's mentality after a dramatic comeback, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi claimed Mbappe and Neymar were integral to the club's success and will "never be leaving" the French capital. 

After successive exits in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Al-Khelaifi was unsurprisingly relieved to see his side beat Atalanta on Wednesday night. Speaking to RMC Sport after the game, the club president said, "Everyone said that Paris was not ready for the Champions League but we showed a great mentality, with great players. Our goal is very big but we are not thinking today of the final, only the semi-final. It's very important to change the mentality." Nasser Al-Khelaifi then admitted that the next big target for the club is winning the Champions League, which according to the 46-year-old will take the club to the next level. 

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Atalanta vs PSG highlights: Neymar, Mbappe shine in comeback win

Serie A side Atalanta took the lead in the first half after Mario Pasalic beat Keylor Navas with a wonderful curling effort. Despite PSG creating a host of chances in front of goal, they failed to beat Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello for much of the game. Despite missing some great opportunities to equalise, Neymar had a relatively good game for the Parisians.

The Brazilian did register an assist as he had the last touch before Marquinhos’ equaliser. Kylian Mbappe, who recovered from an injury in time to feature in the match, played the final 30 minutes of the game. The Frenchman's direct approach was helpful as PSG managed to breach Atalanta's defence for the second time. Mbappe found Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting with a perfectly timed ball for PSG's winner. 

Nasser Al-Khelaifi acknowledged the importance of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for the club's success. "Neymar and Kylian are some of the best players in the world but it was the team that had a great game, even though Ney was really good. In recent months he has changed in the team. They're both going to stay, they're never going to leave!"

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Both players have been linked away from the club ever since they made their move to Paris in 2017. While Neymar has been frequently linked with a return to former club Barcelona, Kylian Mbappe has reportedly drawn interest from Barca's arch-rivals, Real Madrid. The latter's contract runs out in 2022, which further suggest Real manager Zinedine Zidane could make a push to sign the player for a cut-price deal in 2021. 

As of now, both players will be playing at the French capital. After seeing out a stern challenge from Atalanta, PSG will be confident they can go all the way through in the tournament. Heavyweights like Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are still alive in the tournament. PSG will face the winner between RB Leipzig and Atletico Madrid in the semi-final on Tuesday, August 18. 

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(Image Credits: Champions League Twitter Handle)