‘Relying on prestige doesn’t get you anywhere’: Marquinhos warns Paris Saint-Germain can’t take anything for granted against ‘fearless’ RB Leipzig
- Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos has warned against complacency
- Marquinhos says prestige won’t mean anything when PSG face RB Leipzig
- Centre-back says single-legged European ties have created more drama
Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos has insisted that his side can’t take anything for granted when they face RB Leipzig in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Leipzig are in just their second season in the Champions League but Marquinhos is wary of the threat posed by the German side.
Marquinhos praised Leipzig, describing them as ‘fearless’. The winners of Wednesday’s clash will take on either Lyon or Bayern Munich in the final.
Marquinhos says Paris Saint-Germain can’t take anything for granted against RB Leipzig
‘They are a young team and fearless, as they’ve shown already in this Champions League season. They’ve played great,’ he told UEFA.com.
‘In the previous match against Atletico Madrid; they totally dominated the game. So, we know we’ll have to give our best. Nowadays, relying on prestige doesn’t get you anywhere.’
Marquinhos admitted that the format adopted for the latter stages of the tournament, where games are played as single-legged ties, has led to much entertainment.
The PSG defender is wary of the threat posed by RB Leipzig, who he described as ‘fearless’
‘Because these are one-off games only, we’re seeing plenty of excitement in all the matches. It’s now become like a World Cup of sorts,’ he said. ‘That’s why it’s been so joyful, so full of excitement.
‘We’re aiming to win this trophy because we’re ambitious. We want it; we have this dream. But we’re aware that it’s a long and hard road. There’ll be struggle, it won’t be easy, so it’s not enough to just dream about it.’
Marquinhos says the latter stages of the Champions League have had a World Cup feel to them
PSG are striving to win Europe’s elite club competition for the first time, and they certainly have star quality in abundance as they are able to call upon the likes of Neymar and Thiago Silva, while Kylian Mbappe is set to be fit to start.
Marquinhos scored a late equaliser for PSG in their quarter-final clash against Atalanta, with Eric Choupo-Moting proceeding to score the winner.
PSG are set to be without goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who is injured, with Sergio Rico poised to step in.