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RB Leipzig staged a brilliant comeback to defeat PSG 2-1 in Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League. Emil Forsberg's penalty gave the German club the win after Christopher Nkunku's goal had canceled out Angel di Maria's opener. The result leaves the Germans level with Manchester United on top of Group H, while PSG is in third place, three points behind.
Paris Saint-Germain stormed out of the blocks in the first half, with Angel di Maria opening the scoring in the 6th minute after being put through by a perfectly weighted pass from Moise Kean. Di Maria had the chance to double PSG's lead ten minutes later but missed from the penalty spot after defender Dayot Upamencano handled the ball in the box.
The visitors were soon made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal, as former PSG youngster Christopher Nkunku rifled in a shot from the edge of the box. The strike found the bottom corner in the 42nd minute and made it 1-1 going into the break.
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Emil Forsberg showed Di Maria how it was done, scoring from the spot in the 57th minute after Presnel Kimpembe's handball was penalized by VAR - giving RB Leipzig a 2-1 lead. Midfielder Idrissa Gueye was sent off in the 69th minute after his second yellow card, leaving PSG facing a mountain to climb.
The Parisians tried their hardest but were unable to level matters, with a late red card for Presnel Kimpembe capping off a miserable night.
On that note, here are five major talking points from the game.
#5 Angel di Maria goes from hero to villain for PSG
The last time PSG faced RB Leipzig, Angel di Maria turned in a starring performance, grabbing a goal and setting up two as his side romped to a 3-0 win in Lisbon.
Just 6 minutes in, it seemed as though Di Maria was all set to repeat his virtuoso performance from last time out, as he produced a delicate finish from a narrow-angle after running onto Moise Kean's pass.
Yet, Angel di Maria has always seemed to lack the killer instinct possessed by some of his other illustrious teammates, and when he missed his penalty, a potentially easy win turned into a slow-burning nightmare.
Di Maria did cause Leipzig quite a few problems for the rest of the game, but couldn't find the killer blow on a night where he left with plenty of regrets.
#4 Christopher Nkunku finally gets his revenge
There was plenty of attention prior to the game on Christopher Nkunku as the French talent faced up to his former side having spent nine years at PSG. Nkunku already played against his former employers in the UEFA Champions League semifinal last season.
He was quite poor in Lisbon and was hooked at half time, but there was no such tragic tale to be had tonight. Nkunku was full of direct running throughout the match and caused the PSG backline quite a few problems with his trickery and positioning.
Nkunku's sweetly struck goal would have not looked out of place in PSG's colors - indeed Thomas Tuchel could have used Nkunku's presence instead of the timid Pablo Sarabia. His goal was transformative for Leipzig and spurred the Bundesliga club to victory, helping them recover from last week's heavy defeat against Manchester United
#3 PSG feel the absence of Mauro Icardi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe
There will be plenty little sympathy for such a monied club like PSG suffering from injuries, but the Parisians could have really used the likes of Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe tonight.
Moise Kean and Angel di Maria weren't particularly bad - in fact there's an argument to be made that Kean performed quite well, but just lacked the finishing touch.
That's precisely what PSG missed tonight - the extra 1% that separates the best from the rest. Leipzig were there for the taking in the first half, and had Neymar, Mbappe and Icardi been on the pitch for the Parisians tonight, it could have been a much worse scoreline.
#2 Julian Nagelsmann's defensive rejig changed the game
RB Leipzig are the third best defence in the Bundesliga, but they looked anything but in the first half. Fans would surely have been left scratching their head as Julian Nagelsmann once again played a high backline that was punished so heavily by Manchester United.
Dayot Upamecano looked like a deer caught in headlights and not the €50 million defender top clubs in Europe are after. His misplaced pass in the 6th minute led to the opener and he conceded a penalty soon after. With Ibrahima Konate and Willi Orban looking nervous alongside him, there was plenty of concern for Leipzig going into the break.
However, Nagelsmann tweaked his tactics in the second half, as Leipzig were far more circumspect and not as gung-ho, with their backline sitting deep. Their defence looked transformed, and dealt with whatever PSG could throw at them, ultimately resulting in the win.
Nagelsmann is still a young manager, but tonight would have been in education for him in the value of a cautious outlook against the big teams.
#1 Tonight's defeat may have had a huge effect on Thomas Tuchel's future
It's perhaps hyperbolic to claim Thomas Tuchel's job is in danger, especially given PSG are top of Ligue 1 and look set to claim another title. However, the powers-that-be at PSG want the UEFA Champions League, and after a last gasp win over Atalanta in the quarterfinals, Tuchel admitted he had escaped the sack.
The loss to RB Leipzig places PSG in real danger - Istanbul Basaksehir have shown they're no pushovers, and Manchester United and Leipzig already know how to defeat the Parisians.
Going out in the group stages would be catastrophic for PSG, and Tuchel will be facing plenty of sleepless nights as he plots a comeback. After all, his job depends on it.
