Paris Saint-Germain are set to face Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League semi final tie on Wednesday.
The game is among the most glamorous matchups possible in the world of football, as the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar go up against players such as Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.
Despite the fact that starting line-ups look reasonably equal, these types of encounters are usually decided by the fine details. That’s why we have taken a look at the six most crucial talking points revolving the tie.
Mbappe’s knockout form
The French forward is in fine form. He has scored in three of the last four Champions League matches. The youngster scored a hat-trick against Barcelona at the Camp Nou and one more goal in the second leg of the round of 16 from the spot.
Then, against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, he scored another two. That means that six of his last eight goals in the Champions League have come in the knockout rounds.
Guardiola and Manchester City
If there is anyone who knows what a game of this magnitude means, it is City coach Pep Guardiola.
The tie against Paris Saint Germain will be Guardiola’s eighth Champions League semi final, the highest figure for a coach alongside Jose Mourinho.
City will be playing in their fourth semi final in European competition, after the Cup Winners’ Cup (1969-70 and 1970-71) and the Champions League (2015-16). They have only reached the final once, winning the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1970.
PSG’s second straight final?
Pochettino’s team will try to reach what would be their second consecutive Champions League final.
Last year, they suffered frustration against Bayern Munich, who came away with a 1-0 win courtesy of former PSG academy product Kingsley Coman.
Previous meetings
Manchester City eliminated PSG in their only previous knockout meeting in European competition. It was in the 2015/2016 season, in the Champions League quarter finals, with the English club coming away with a 3-2 aggregate win.
Kevin de Bruyne was the hero as he scored winning goal in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.
Neymar vs De Bruyne
They are the biggest stars of their respective teams, and it is reflected in the data.
The Brazilian has scored three times and assisted once in the last three games. Likewise, it seems that he enjoys playing against English teams, since he has participated in nine goals in the 12 games he has played against British clubs.
On his part, the Belgian has participated in eight goals in his last seven games in the knockout stages of the Champions League – four goals and four assists.
City’s run
Manchester City have won nine of their ten Champions League games this season, two more than any of the other three semi-finalists. Chelsea come closest, with seven victories.
No English team has won more than ten games in one Champions League season under the current format which began in 2003/04, while Real Madrid in 2011/12 are the only side to win as many in a single campaign without lifting the trophy