Paris Saint-Germain will take on RB Leipzig in the semi-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday night, with both teams hoping to reach the final of the continental competition for the time in their history.
In the Round of 16, PSG knocked out the tournament’s dark horses, Atalanta in a stunning late comeback, while RB Leipzig edged out Atletico Madrid in a keenly contested fixture.
The winner of the single-legged semi-final tie between PSG and RB Leipzig will face either Lyon or Bayern Munich in the final on Sunday.
On that note, let us assess which five players could make a difference in the first semi-final clash.
#1 Neymar (PSG)
Neymar showed glimpses of his extraordinary talents against a stubborn Atalanta side in the quarter-finals.
The former Barcelona star delivered an all-round attacking performance and was vital to PSG’s famous win over the Serie A outfit as he played a crucial role in both his side’s goals in the space of three minutes.
Neymar made it his own mission to lead PSG’s attack in the absence of Kylian Mbappe (before the Frenchman came on) and played an amazing spell of football to terrorise the Atalanta defenders.
The Brazilian international was keen to show why he is considered one of the world’s best wingers and he proved his point.
Neymar, who has scored three goals and provided as many assists in five Champions League appearances this season, has been instrumental in PSG’s first semi-final appearance in 25 years.
#2 Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig)
Dayot Upamecano is considered one of the best central defenders in the world at the moment and the 21-year-old showed why he is so highly-rated with a superb performance against Atletico Madrid last time around.
The French Under-21 international, who was one of the best players for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, has carried his outstanding form into the Champions League as well.
In the Round of 16 clash against Atletico Madrid, Upamecano simply dominated Diego Costa, one of the most bullish and physical strikers around. The youngster was calm, strong, assured in possession and did not give the ball away.
The towering centre-back made the second-highest number of passes (74), and the highest number of tackles (2) and interceptions (3) in the game, which shows his overall class.
A similar performance against the much-fancied PSG could take RB Leipzig to their first-ever European final.
#3 Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Kylian Mbappe, whose season looked in jeopardy after he suffered an ankle injury in the French Cup final against Saint-Etienne, came on as a substitute against Atalanta and provided an assist to help PSG register a comeback victory.
The Frenchman has been declared fit to start against RB Leipzig, who must find a way to keep him silent if they want to win the game.
Mbappe, who has been scoring goals for fun throughout the season, netted 18 times in 20 games in Ligue 1, while he has found the back of the net five times and set up as many goals in eight Champions League outings.
#4 Marcel Sabitzer (RB Leipzig)
Marcel Sabitzer‘s contribution to the RB Leipzig team cannot be overlooked, with the Austrian international being a versatile player who can play as a number 10 or a winger.
He is the player with the highest goal contributions for the German club in the Champions League – four goals and three assists.
Sabitzer was impressive in RB Leipzig’s win over Atletico Madrid and provided the assist for his side’s first goal with a pinpoint cross, which was converted wonderfully by Daniel Olmo.
#5 Angel Di Maria (PSG)
The Argentine veteran has been one of the club’s top players for some time now and has been brilliant throughout the season as PSG dominated the domestic circuit in France.
Angel Di Maria is very skilful with the ball at his feet and is a winger who can dribble and send crosses into the box with ease. The former Real Madrid winger was instrumental in PSG’s domestic dominance as he scored eight goals and provided 14 assists in the Ligue 1 campaign.
He has been in fine form in the Champions League as well, scoring twice and providing four assists in seven appearances.
Di Maria was suspended for the Atalanta game but will return to the starting XI against RB Leipzig.
His understanding with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar will be crucial to PSG’s chances of reaching their first Champions League final.
Also Read: RB Leipzig vs PSG: Preview, team news, predicted XI and more: UCL 2019-20