RB Leipzig vs Liverpool: 5 players to watch out for | UEFA Champions League 2020-21

Liverpool will take on RB Leipzig in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 tie on Tuesday, with the game set to be played at the Puskas Arena in Hungary.

RB Leipzig will be slight favourites heading into the game because of their recent form. The East Germans have won four out of their last five games in all competitions and are in a good run of form.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are in a tough spell and have lost their last three games. Jurgen Klopp’s men have been hampered by injuries and will head into the clash as underdogs.

Both Klopp and Julian Nagelsmann have some good players nevertheless, and it is likely to be an entertaining tie when the two sides square off. So without further ado, let’s take a look at five players to watch from the tie:

#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Mohamed Salah, the leading goal-scorer in the Premier League, has been in good form despite Liverpool’s poor run. Against a team like RB Leipzig, who are not expected to sit back, the Egyptian’s influence will be that much greater.

Leipzig play a three-on-the-back system, so they are likely to double up on Salah when they don’t have the ball. However, considering how Leipzig press, Salah is likely to have more space to run into and attack come Tuesday.

Salah is also pretty good at taking on defenders, especially when they are not sitting back during the transition. If he is on song, the Reds are more than likely to come up with an away goal or two.

#2 Angelino (RB Leipzig)

RB Leipzig's Angelino will be up against Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold on Tuesday

Angelino’s impact at RB Leipzig has been so good that they did not even wait until the summer to make his loan move permanent.

The former Manchester City wing-back has provided tenacity, drive and a few goals from the left wing and will be a threat to the Liverpool defence on Tuesday.

Up against Trent Alexander-Arnold, who currently isn’t the most sound defensively, Angelino will fancy his chances. His work-rate is pretty impressive, so he will be a player to watch both on and off the ball.

If he puts in a stellar display to help nullify the threat of Salah and test Alexander-Arnold, we could very well see Leipzig take a lead into the second leg.

#3 Thiago (Liverpool)

Thiago will not have too much time on the ball against RB Leipzig

Thiago has often been criticised for slowing Liverpool’s buildup this season. Much of the criticism is perhaps unfair as the Reds have used a new way to approach games.

In the absence of Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, Liverpool no longer have players at the back who can pick out Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah with their diagonals. They have subsequently adopted a more possession-based approach to build up and attack through the middle.

Thiago will not have too much time on the ball against RB Leipzig. At the same time, he will not be up against midfielders who will sit back and form two banks of four.

His distribution against a proactive team like Leipzig will be key, and if he can control the tempo of the game, Liverpool will have their openings.

#4 Yussuf Poulsen (RB Leipzig)

Yussuf Poulsen’s role in the RB Leipzig team is often overlooked. He may not be the most gifted of passers or the most clinical of finishers, but he strings play quite well and provides the work ethic.

Nagelsmann will want his team to press Liverpool from the front. To do that, the duo of Christopher Nkunku and Poulsen will have to work together in tandem to test a makeshift Liverpool centre-back pairing.

The Dane put in a stellar and selfless display against Augsburg in Leipzig’s last game and will need to do more of the same against Liverpool.

#5 Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)

Roberto Firmino is the most important part of Liverpool's attacking set-up

We have said all the good things about Poulsen. Roberto Firmino is pretty similar, except he is the most important cog in the Liverpool attack.

Thiago’s presence has helped Firmino stay in a more attacking role as he hasn’t had to come too deep to find the duo of Salah and Mane.

If Firmino can make it work in the penalty area on Tuesday, Liverpool will be hard to stop as the Brazilian is usually a good provider and a selfless player.

The only problem is he will be up against Dayot Upamecano, who is one of the best young defenders in Europe right now.