RB Leipzig v PSG: Can the team beat the superstars?

Since the turn of the millennium there have been just two instances of a team from either France or Germany lifting one of the two major European trophies.

In both instances it was Bayern Munich (2001 and 2013) but there will be a third name to etch onto the list this season. The Bavarians will be the favourites to come out of the other tie but the question of who will face them is perhaps more delicately poised.

A draw that seemed built for Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid ended before it started as RB Leipzig, without star striker Timo Werner, stunned the Spaniards late on. PSG too left it late, rallying after having trailed Atalanta for most of their tie.

All four sides to have had less playing time have progressed and both these teams started their matches without arguably their best players. The only difference is that PSG will be able to welcome back Kylian Mbappe. There will be no Werner for Leipzig as he gets used to his new life in South London.

Yet the German side have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with by taking out Atletico and PSG will have to be wary. The pressure is certainly more on the Parisians, this is the first time they have reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for 25 years and they have spent a lot of money to get back.

In fact both teams have spent money. This is a fascinating clash between two regimes trying to legitimatise their ownerships. Both QSI and Red Bull have been met with strong resistance to their operations but they have ploughed on in very different ways. PSG have chased the glitz and glamour whilst Leipzig have looked to develop younger players.

So what’s the mood in Paris? “I wouldn’t say confident but sure of their strength.” Eurosport France’s Cyril Morin says of PSG.

“They almost saw the end against Atalanta. But this game showed, for the first time (or perhaps second after Dortmund), that this team has character and a real spirit. It wasn’t the case before, in recent years.

“Of course Leipzig beat Atletico and they are aware of that but if PSG manage to play at their expected level, they [Leipzig] shouldn’t be feared. Wary perhaps, but not feared. They [PSG] have too much quality for that.”

It’s hard not to be confident one suspects when you can pair Mbappe and Neymar together but that hasn’t always worked out in the past but Morin reckons that PSG boss might try something different.

“Tuchel seems to want to put Mbappe in his favourite spot, as a second striker behind [Mauro] Icardi and with Neymar and [Angel] Di Maria around. In this situation, Mbappe is the lethal weapon PSG didn’t have against Atalanta.”

It’s a formidable attacking quartet but there are holes in this team. Idrissa Gueye and Marco Verratti are both highly unlikely to feature whilst Sergio Rico will deputise in place of Keylor Navas in goal.

And that could spell trouble for PSG, as Eurosport Germany’s Robert Bauer explains.

“The offensive burden is now spread across several shoulders." Bauer says of Leipzig without Werner. "It is difficult to single out one player, because they have many good offensive players (Sabitzer, Nkunku, Schick, Poulsen, Olmo), but not the one key player."

Credit to Julian Nagelsmann because plenty of people (this writer included) couldn’t see a way they made it past Atletico. As Bauer alluded to there is less of a focal point now with Werner gone. The attacking cohort move fluidly and that unpredictability might be the key.

"Nagelsmann switched to a 3-3-3-1 system against Atletico with Yussuf Poulsen as the only nominal attacker. He repeatedly involved Gimenez and Savic in duels, creating space for the other offensive forces Nkunku, Sabitzer and Olmo." Bauer says.

But can they stop PSG’s attackers? Were it not for the profligacy of Neymar the French champions could have been a few goals up before Atalanta scored. It’s hard to imagine that he is going to be so forgiving next time around.

“That's the big question,” Bauer replies when asked about Leipzig’s defending.

“Against Atletico, apart from the goal they conceded, their defence was very stable. Upamecano in particular was outstanding.

“A lot will depend on whether they can get a grip on Mbappe and Neymar.

“If PSG appear on the offensive as they did against Atalanta, Leipzig will have a real chance.”

Whichever way the game ends up going it is clearly more finely poised than it first appears, a comprehensive PSG win would come as a big surprise.

There’s a reason why Nagelsmann is so highly thought of in the boardrooms of European giants. He has shown himself to be one of the most tactically astute managers in the world despite his youth. Tuchel, his old mentor, is no slouch either but he is slightly hamstrung depending on the work-rate some of his superstars are willing to do. Will their genius prevail? Or will Nagelsmann’s unit cause another upset?