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With a win in the key match, RB Leipzig have headed for the Champions League round of 16 (the highlight of the match is here in the video) Julian Nagelsmann’s match plan worked against Paris St. Germain as final.
It was exactly midnight when Julian Nagelsmann said goodbye to the press conference with a “goodbye” of good humor. The good humor of the RB Leipzig manager was understandable, because his players had implemented their tactical concept against Paris St. Germain almost perfectly after a shaky first half hour. “Well heard and well done, guys,” praised Nagelsmann after the immensely important 2: 1 (1: 1) in the Champions League against PSG.
The victory was golden in several ways. Leipziger successfully avenged the semi-final lesson (0: 3) two and a half months ago in Lisbon, even if that in the absence of injured PSG stars Neymar and Kylian Mbappé did not overestimate Leipzig. Anyway, it is much more important: in the current group stage, the Bundesliga team (6 points) now have better cards than the French series champions (3), who will be forced to win in the match of back in three weeks. League leader Manchester United (6) is suddenly within reach.
“That was an important and good step for us,” Nagelsmann said. But it was not long, and the starting position would be completely different. After Angel Di Maria’s early 0: 1 (6th), PSG and coach Thomas Tuchel received a hand penalty, both times Leipzig’s head of defense Dayot Upamecano was fully by their side.
But Di Maria failed because of RB goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, “a winning moment,” as Nagelsmann admitted. A 0: 2 after ten minutes would have threatened RB’s third straight loss.
Leipzig change the game against PSG: “put courage”
But it turned out different, also because Nagelsmann hit the right note during the break. “I told them at halftime that they could have confidence that we were the best team right now,” the 33-year-old said DAZN: “You should have a lot of courage, that’s what they did.”
Especially Emil Forsberg. The Swede appeared after the break and scored the 2-1 winner with a penalty (57th) as a reward. Forsberg ran alongside Dani Olmo, also a trained midfielder, as a forward. Nagelsmann wanted to pose problems for PSG’s huge defenders with agile and technically strong attackers. The plan worked.
“Emil hangs around a lot, very swimming,” Nagelsmann said. Of course, the physically small duo of storms Forsberg / Olmo “will not score 25 goals in the season”, “but sometimes other things are required”.
Leipzig – PSG: Tuchel again under fire
Now, above all, Thomas Tuchel is in demand. The German coach has to draw up a winning match plan for the second leg in Paris, otherwise the end of the group stage and therefore his departure to PSG should be closer. Tuchel did not believe that his critical remarks about the contract situation before kick-off could have unsettled the team: “It doesn’t matter if we lose, we play a draw or we win.”
The former Bundesliga coach of Dortmund and Mainz had expressed skepticism about a future in Paris beforehand. One should not “dream when one is under constant fire,” said the 47-year-old: “For a while I had this naive vision that the manager would be out of the line of fire for a while after four titles and a final of Champions would resist, it took five days. “
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