Leipzig and PSG meet in the first semifinal of the UEFA Champions League. The match will be played on Tuesday, at 20:00, at Estadio da Luz (Lisbon), without spectators.
PSG comes to this semifinal after a series of 11 victories in a row in all competitions, official and friendly. In the quarterfinals with Atalanta, Tuchel’s team encountered real difficulties. The Italians dominated the first half, one in which they missed huge opportunities to score. The only success came in the 27th minute, through Mario Pasalic. PSG had to wait until the 90th minute to obtain the qualification in the “ace square”. Marquinhos equalized in the 90th minute, so that in the 3rd minute of extra time came the qualifying goal, scored by the reserve Maxim Choupo-Moting.
Leipzig is the pleasant surprise of this phase. Nagelsmann’s students advanced to Tottenham in the last eight, with the score of 4-0 in general, so that in the quarterfinals to defeat a new experienced opponent, Atletico Madrid, with the score of 2-1. The qualifying goal was scored by 21-year-old midfielder Tyler Adams in the 88th minute.
Julian Nagelsmann’s team impressed this season with the offensive force and could take advantage of the possible absence of Keylor Navas, from the goal of PSG. The Germans managed to score twice in front of an extremely solid defense, that of Diego Simeone, the coach of Atletico Madrid, and it is not excluded to do so in front of a much more permissive defense, such as that of those from PSG.
This will be the first direct duel between the two teams, in an official competition;
The two also met in a friendly match, played in 2014, when the German team won 4-2;
Leipzig finished the Bundesliga season on the last step of the podium, with 18 wins, 12 draws and only 4 defeats;
Nagelsmann’s side also had the second strongest defense in the Bundesliga, with 37 goals conceded;
In Group C of the Champions League, Leizig ranked first, with three wins, two draws and one defeat;
PSG won five of the six Group A matches (a draw), one of which also included Real Madrid, Club Brugge and Galatasaray;
Leipzig: Gulacsi – Klostermann, Upamecano, Halstenberg, Angelino – Laimer, Kampl – Sabitzer, Olmo, Nkunku – Poulsen;
Absent: Ibrahima Konate (injured), Hwang Hee-Chan, Benjamin Henrichs;
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann;
PSG: Rico – Kehrer, Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat – Neymar, Marquinhos, Gueye, Di Maria – Mbappe, Icardi;
Absent: Layvin Kurzawa (injured), Marco Verratti, Keylor Navas (uncertain);
Coach: Thomas Tuchel;
PREDICTION: Paris SG to win @ 1,80
