RB Leipzig vs Paris Saint-Germain: 5 key players to watch out for | UEFA Champions League 2019-20
History will be made when RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain clash in the first semi-final of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night as whichever team emerges as the winner will be making their maiden appearance in the final of the prestigious tournament on Friday.
Kylian Mbappe is expected to to be named in the starting XI by the Ligue 1 giants after he made an appearance as a second-half substitute in their win over Atalanta.
The showdown at Estádio da Luz, Lisbon will bring two clubs with vastly different strategies but a similar growth trajectory against one another. While PSG have made one marquee signing after the other in recent years, RB Leipzig's philosophy of signing young talents and developing them has remained constant since their foundation in 2009.
It will be the first-ever competitive meeting between the two sides, which will also involve the reunion of Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann with his former mentor Thomas Tuchel, the current PSG manager.
Both the sides play a fast-paced and highly entertaining game, so this promises to be an exciting matchup. With the stage set for two highly entertaining sides to clash for the first time in their history, we take a look at five key players from both teams to keep an eye on.
5 key players to watch out for in PSG's semi-final tie against RB Leipzig
#5 Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig)
Many keen observers of the game have tipped Dayot Upamecano to be one of the best central defenders in the years to come but he might've already announced himself as one of the best players in his position with a superb performance against Atletico Madrid last time around.
The 21-year-old defender dominated Diego Costa, one of the most bullish strikers of our generation, almost without breaking a sweat. Despite pressure from the Brazil-born Spain international, he was was calm, strong, assured in possession and didn't give the ball away cheaply.
The towering centre-back won more than 60 per cent of his one-on-one battles with opponents in the Bundesliga this term and came out on top in 68 per cent of aerial challenges.
The player often called 'Beast' in the dressing room finished with a 100 per cent dribble and tackle success rate against Atletico Madrid. He had almost 100 touches and maintained an impressive 92 per cent passing accuracy.
There's a long list of defenders who've been beaten by Kylian Mbappe by his pace and quick feet, but his compatriot Upamecano is also known for his unbelievable pace, and it will be interesting to see how he handles the now fully-fit winger.
#4 Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)
Although PSG have splashed a lot of cash on new signings over the last decade, one glaring drawback of the club's transfer policy has been the lack of versatile players in its ranks.
Luckily for them, they have a technically sound defender in Marquinhos, who can also start at the full-back slot and even in the midfield. He has impressed in his few starts as a defensive midfielder this season and assumed that role in their stunning comeback win over Atalanta, where he even managed to get on the scoresheet by scoring the equaliser in the 90th minute.
In Champions League fixtures, where he has mostly started in the midfield, he won 3 aerial duels per game, had 1.7 tackles per 90 and was only dribbled past 0.3 times every game.
Regardless of the role in which starts in the semi-final, he will be the main defensive figure for the Parisians and will have to be extra vigilant against the young and energetic Leipzig side, given that Keylor Navas, the three-time UCL winner, is out of the game due to an injury.
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