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#3 Marco Verratti vs Kevin De Bruyne
One of the most anticipated battles of the game is the duel between two of the best midfielders Europe has to offer, Kevin De Bruyne and Marco Verratti. De Bruyne, the reigning PFA Player of the Year winner, has brushed off the injury concerns he's had this season and has been in top form. No active player in the UEFA Champions League has registered more assists (four) this campaign.
He will lock horns with PSG's Verratti, who is one of the best deep-lying playmakers in Europe. The diminutive Italian midfielder averages 90 passes per game in the UCL this season along with 8.61 progressive carries and two key passes.
His excellent ability on the ball coupled with 2.78 tackles a game, makes him a formidably well-rounded player in the middle. He will have to be watchful of De Bruyne's presence and avoid giving him too much time and space with the ball at his feet. The Belgian's ability to pick out his teammates anywhere across the pitch with either foot is nearly unparalleled, and will be a huge threat for PSG.
#2 Neymar vs Rodri
Usually, pinning Neymar's position down to one area of the pitch is certainly a difficult task as he's given the license to roam all across the final third, picking up the ball in little pockets to hurt the opposition. However, he does have a knack of picking up the ball in central areas, something which Rodri might be tasked with preventing.
Neymar averages a staggering eight goals and assists in the UCL, a figure only second to his teammate Kylian Mbappe — and he is also one of the best creative players in the competition. Only Mbappe (35) has dribbled past a player more times than Neymar's 34 among active players, and the Brazilian has played nearly 250 minutes less than him. Neymar has also averaged 8.25 (!) progressive carries per 90 and creates over two chances a game.
Rodri is Guardiola's go-to man to anchor his midfield either by himself or alongside Fernandinho, and the towering Spaniard will have to be very careful not to afford Neymar any time on the ball. He's one of the most complete attackers of this generation and is capable of hurting the opposition from anywhere in the final third, as he showed against Bayern Munich with to stunning assists for PSG.
#1 Kylian Mbappe vs Ruben Dias
Ruben Dias has managed to pass most of the tests he's faced in his early short career at Manchester City so far with flying colours. However, he will now be up against perhaps the most difficult one of them all as the Cityzens star will be tasked with stopping Kylian Mbappe.
In full flow, Mbappe is nearly unstoppable. The French superstar can play anywhere across the front line but has often lined up as the striker under Pochettino. The 22-year-old delivered one of the most breathtaking displays of the season as he tore Barcelona apart at the Nou Camp with a hat-trick as PSG beat Barcelona by a scoreline of 4-1. Mbappe is the highest goalscorer still active in the competition with eight goals, just two behind Erling Haaland's ten.
His brace delivered a hammer blow to Bayern in the quarter-finals and with a whopping 37 goals across all competitions, Mbappe looks sharper than ever. Dias has had an incredible season in his own right, boasting of the best defence in the competition and contributing to the side with the highest number of clean sheets in Europe.
His battle with Mbappe could arguably be one of the most defining duels across the two legs of the semi-final tie.
Also read: 5 Greatest big-game players in world football right now
