Scouting for a final berth

LISBON • Either Paris Saint-Germain or RB Leipzig will be first-time Champions League finalists today, but there is another sub-plot that is just as intriguing.

It will be a case of mentor versus protege at the Estadio da Luz.

PSG coach Thomas Tuchel gave Leipzig counterpart Julian Nagelsmann his first break at Augsburg 12 years ago as a scout, before the latter eventually transitioned to managing, an opportunity the younger German remains thankful for.

Nagelsmann, who never played a professional game with a knee injury prompting his retirement as an Augsburg youth team player at the age of 20, said: "They (PSG) are a top team with a top trainer.

"I have often played (as a coach) against him (Tuchel) but rarely won. That should change now. I would also be satisfied with a bad game if we win. Of course, I was his player, but that was many years ago. I'm more into the day-to-day business now, just like him."

At his former club Hoffenheim, Nagelsmann lost twice and drew once against his former mentor, who was in charge of Borussia Dortmund from 2016-17, and won the German Cup in his final year.

After a 12-month absence, following his firing from Dortmund, Tuchel joined the French champions, leading them to back-to-back Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic treble this season.

While the pair were never close, Nagelsmann is a fan of Tuchel's work and is wary of their expensively-assembled squad - only Manchester City have spent more.

"Our relationship was too pragmatic for that, but I am grateful for him giving me the idea to become a coach," he added. "They (PSG) are a team full of stars.

"Angel di Maria is coming back (from a one-game ban), (Kylian) Mbappe will be fit enough to play from the beginning.

"It's clear we need another top performance to get into the final."

Their opponents' quality, however, does not mean the German Bundesliga side will be sitting back.

At 33, Nagelsmann is the youngest coach to lead a team this deep into the competition, yet their progression has not come about from a defensive mindset.

Revealing to Goal.com the tactical acumen that pundits believe is reminiscent of Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp, he said: "It is important to work collectively.

"First and foremost, we have to make sure that we prevent the balls from getting deep. They (PSG) have precise target areas in which they want to play in front of the opposing defensive chain.

"We have already come up with an idea of how to close these spaces.

The point is to perceive how much pressure the ball-carrier has.

"I believe that we can hurt the opponent more if we ourselves have the ball a lot and want to create opportunities."

PSG will be the favourites, having spent over a billion euros since the Qatari takeover in 2011, and they are desperate to win their maiden European Cup and finally prove their big-club credentials.

At his virtual pre-match press conference yesterday, Tuchel yesterday confirmed Mbappe was likely fit to start before insisting his team were at this late stage on merit.

"We live in the present moment, we deserve to be here, we have had an extraordinary journey and season," the 46-year-old added.

"We are ready, we are hungry, but we do not think about the historical side, because we are in the semi-finals and we are there to win."

However, Leipzig skipper Yussuf Poulsen, who joined in the 2013-14 season when the Red Bull-owned team were in the third division, intends to rip up that script.

He said: "This is a story that you couldn't have written better."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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RB LEIPZIG V PSG