Match: PSG / Leipzig (3-0), individual performances

PSG won 3-0 against RB Leipzig in the semi-final of the Champions League, Paris leaving no chance for the Germans by being superior in all areas. Review of the individual performances of Parisian players on a case-by-case basis.

Rico : The Parisian substitute goalkeeper has still not conceded a single goal in the Champions League this season after three games played and he has therefore largely fulfilled his mission. Leipzig didn’t really ask for him either as he only had two shots on target to capture before the break, both without any difficulty, plus a well-managed kickout and it’s only a powerful attempt to Angelino at the end of the game which put him in difficulty slightly. For the rest, he remained sober in what he did, both in the revivals and the air exits.

Sweeper: The right-back of the Parisian defense did not really succeed in his game overall, without being bad for all that. Defensively, he generally got the job done, still with his dominant aerial presence, and handled Nkunku well. Always quick to go to the duel, he also managed some interesting returns to the axis and let few crosses pass. With the ball, however, it was a whole different story and Kehrer regularly struggled: few climbs and very few successful crosses but above all recurring technical reliability problems annoying at this level of competition.

Thiago Silva : His pair with Kimpembe was obviously renewed and it has once again given great satisfaction. Overall, the captain’s game was of good quality, with a most enjoyable permanent air presence and coverage provided with its usual timeliness. If he is preceded by Poulsen on the biggest opposing opportunity, he will also do a lot of good at the start of the second half when Leipzig will push and corner PSG on his goal. His sense of placement and anticipation works wonders. In the revival, he was more enterprising than lately, not hesitating to open towards the right side.

Kimpembe: The left-hander was the author of a big European performance even if it is necessary to underline his two errors of the sori: a big avoidable fault in front of the surface and a yellow card by sacrifice just before the break. For the rest, he was having a great night and repulsed a good number of opposing attempts: a foot trailing here, a committed and precious clearance there, he was requested and practically always responded perfectly. Even warned, he showed great control to defend properly, except for a tackle on Schick. In the relaunch, he was once again given a lot of responsibility and released a capital performance, missing virtually nothing.

Bernat: He is not yet the best Bernat and it shows in his racing volume, which is still lower than what he can offer, but the Spaniard has on the whole held his lane quite well. However, he was not helped by his partners: Mbappé was having a bad day while Paredes was regularly overtaken by opposing blocks. Often abandoned, Bernat however rarely sank into this role, however complicated to manage, even offering himself a second period more successful than the first. And how not to emphasize, once again, his incredible ability to be decisive in matches that matter. After having stumbled on the goalkeeper, he is present to score the goal that seals the match. And the head moreover …

Marquinhos: After being the scorer of the miracle against Atalanta, he was the one who put PSG on the way to the final with a perfect uncrossed header. His first period will overall be very qualitative with a good activity to protect his defense but also a simple and efficient use of the ball, with a lot of passes in one touch which prevented any pressing. On the other hand, he misses completely at the very end of half-time with an error which will cost Kimpembe a warning. His second period is also less accomplished in the game, with two lost balls which are expensive, but he will still help by his presence on the opposing centers. After several average matches in the middle, he signs overall a much better performance and bodes well for the future.

Herrera : Confirmed in the starting XI, the Spaniard will justify this confidence throughout the match and succeed, quite far, which is his best match with PSG. Literally possessed at the time of pressing the Germans, he will regularly put them in difficulty and Mukiele will even fall alone against him on the third Parisian goal. Generous and determined as ever, he will also be tactically valuable and end up in the right place at the right time. In the game, he will be well inspired and is close to giving Mbappé an assist at the start of the game. If he will also have a few bad inspirations under the pressure when it was necessary to be fair, his game is overall very positive and it appears, finally and at the best of times, as a real solution in the midfield.

Draxler He replaced him at the end of the game and he signed a good entry, making his technique speak in a match where the spaces were wide open

Walls: Positioned as a left torchbearer, he will quickly try to organize the first raise with Kimpembe and the lack of opposing pressure for most of the match allows him to be in a chair on a regular basis, finding insane passes full axis to tear within it the adversary. On the other hand, he will be less precise at the start of the second half when Leipzig pushes and presses but his distribution of the game has been very interesting from start to finish overall. We even saw him strike on goal several times, a good sign for him. Defensively, he was smart enough to recover a few high balls on the pitch, like the 2-0 where he anticipated the goalkeeper’s error, intercepted and served Neymar in the wake but he sometimes had trouble facing the speed of the opposing wingers on the blocks. This will surely not spoil this very good performance which offers him new horizons in a position of left midfielder for which he did not really seem to be a natural candidate.

Verratti He replaced him and he had a comeback far from what he usually is: few balls touched, some technical approximations and a lot of time spent defending.

Of Maria : He found a stadium that he knows like the back of his hand and the former Benfica has hovered over the part like the local eagle. Although little used at the start of the game, he sent a perfect free kick to the head of Marquinhos then was still there to double the bet. In the meantime, he had touched few balls, a constant in the first half to the point that he even found himself stalling, but had hurt practically on each attempt. His second half is even better and is a model of technical accuracy and exploitation of the ball. Each pass was perfect, just like this 3-0 action where he offered Bernat two goals for the Spaniard to convert one. With a goal and two assists, he left his mark and will remain, forever, one of the major players in one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the club.

Sarabia He replaced him for the last few minutes and he was, in a short time, very close to giving an assist to Neymar from a good cross.

Mbappé: Placed between the left side and the axis in a role that he only partially knew due to his positioning during the season, he will sometimes have trouble interpreting this role and placing himself in relation to his partners, the relationship with Bernat does not really work and that with his partners in general not very much. This will not prevent him from sending Neymar to goal after just a few minutes or at the end of the first period but it was generally not the great Mbappé, the striker seeming both technically borrowed and at the same time search for benchmarks in his game. Despite his bad sides of the day, Mbappé remains an incredible threat due to his speed and his partners will not hesitate to seek him in depth, even if Leipzig will on the whole manage rather well. The striker is also going to play some shots badly and could have put his name on the scoreboard with a little more application and accuracy.

Choupo-Moting replaced him for the last moments, a reward after his fabulous entry into the previous round?

Neymar: Again aligned in this role of axial attacker between false 9 and true playmaker, the Brazilian will still hurt his opponents very much. If he will win less than against Bergamo to get the ball back, he will still provoke a lot and get many free kicks, especially that of 1-0. Sometimes targeted by several opponents, he will never give up and always return to the charge even if he is lost in his game at the end of the game when it was won. In the meantime, he had also made a brilliant assist for Di Maria with a deviation as insolent as it was insane and had been a regular inspiration of the Parisian game even if his influence was less than usual due to this high positioning on field. But when it was necessary to help his partners to get out of the German grip, he knew how to be present. Now he only needs one thing to write the last chapter of this masterful story, namely realism. With two posts, including one from a brilliant free kick, and a few big missed opportunities, the Ney is not yet as inspired in front of goals as he is in the rest of his game. Sunday, to enter definitively into the legend of the red and blue people.

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