Champions League Group G: RB Leipzig travels to Zenit, Lyon welcomes Benfica

RB Leipzig leads the pack in Group G with six points, while Zenit and Lyon are tied at four points each and Benfica is placed fourth with three points.

RB Leipzig's coach Julian Nagelsmann leads his side's training session at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg.

Group G is the most closely-fought one in the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League. All four teams in the group have at least one win. So this week's games will be very crucial for all sides involved considering there will be only two more matches left for each team after this matchweek.

- ZENIT VS LEIPZIG -

Zenit St Petersburg, placed second, will take on table-topper RB Leipzig in the early kick-off on Tuesday. Sergei Semak's Zenit is currently on top of the Russian Premier League standings and it had come from behind to salvage a point against misfiring title rival CSKA Moscow on Saturday.

 

Leipzig, on the other hand, currently sits third in the Bundesliga, behind Borussia Monchengladbach and Dortmund. It had pummelled Mainz 8-0 at home in its last league game. However, the trip to Russia might not be as easy as the weekend game for the German club.

Home team Zenit had narrowly lost the reverse fixture between the two sides despite opening the scoring a fortnight ago at the Red Bull Arena. A win against Leipzig might take the Russian champion to the summit of Group G, while anything less than that will push it a rung below.

The visitor, coached by Julian Nagelsmann, will be happy with an away point considering it's already on top but a win will push it closer to round of 16 qualification.

- Key Players - RB Leipzig: Timo Werner has bagged five goals and five assists in his last two competitive games for the club. If the German forward's dazzling form is carried on to the Champions League, Zenit might have a very difficult night ahead. Zenit St Petersburg: Manager Semak will be hoping that star striker Artem Dzyuba fires at the Gazprom Arena and takes his side past Nagelsmann's exciting team.

 

- LYON VS BENFICA -

The two bottom-placed teams in Group G will battle it out later on Tuesday. However, Olympique Lyon or SL Benfica, with a win, could move to first in the points table on Tuesday. That's how competitive this group has been so far.

 

Benfica is currently leading rival FC Porto by two points in the Primeira Liga, while Lyon is struggling at 10th in Ligue 1.

The Portuguese champion had cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win over Rio Ave in its league outing on Saturday. Meanwhile, its French Champions League opponent had edged past Toulouse in a thriller a day later.

Benfica had come out on top against Lyon at home two weeks ago and the club's manager Bruno Lage is likely to field the same victorious line-up at the Groupama Stadium.

His opposite number Rudi Garcia will be hoping that his team claims a midweek win to bring a change in its fortunes in a below par season. The home crowd will support his cause to an extent.

- Key Players - Olympique Lyon: The duo of Moussa Dembele and Memphis Depay has been quite successful this season, especially at home. Both of them will be key in lifting their side to the top half of the group. SL Benfica: Veteran midfielder Pizzi, with close to 250 appearances for his club, will be a threat to home side Lyon. The Portuguese player's supply will be crucial on Tuesday.