Bath playmaker Finn Russell has opened up on what he expects from Sunday\u2019s Investec Champions Cup semi-final with Bordeaux-Begles and compared it to a much-talked about recent football encounter.<\/p>\n
After watching Tuesday\u2019s Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), which the French club won 5-4, Russell\u2019s team-mate Beno Obano likened the brilliance of the German club\u2019s star winger Michael Olise to the Scotland star\u2019s exploits on the rugby field.<\/p>\n
Obano referred to Russell<\/a> as being \u201cawe-inspiring\u201d and the fly-half accepted the compliment before revealing that he is clued up on French football after spending five years with Parisian outfit Racing 92 before joining Bath<\/a> in 2023.<\/p>\n \u2018The best of the best in football\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t support a football team, but I used to live in Paris so I went to a few of the PSG games,\u201d Russell said. \u201cThat game on Tuesday was the best of the best in football and that\u2019s effectively what we are playing in this weekend. The stakes are high. It\u2019s not just another game, it\u2019s a semi-final of a European competition.\u201d<\/p>\n Ahead of his Bath side\u2019s eagerly anticipated last-four Champions Cup<\/a> clash in Bordeaux, Russell revealed that he sees similarities between football and rugby, especially in the transition play of the top teams in both codes and he is wary of UBB\u2019s ability to launch attacks from broken play.<\/p>\n Investec Champions Cup semi-finals: Predictions, teams, kick-off times, how to watch and referee appointments<\/a><\/p>\n Ben Youngs\u2019 Investec Champions Cup: Semi-final predictions, Toulon\u2019s Anglo-Saxon spine and the genius of Louis Bielle-Biarrey<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe way PSG and Bayern counter-attacked with transition ball and the speed they got up the pitch and the chances they made, that is also one of Bordeaux\u2019s big strengths, whether through an offload or a kick,\u201d he said. \u201cOne of the main things will be trying to contain their attacking strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n Although both Bath and Bordeaux have been involved in high-scoring matches this season, Russell does not expect their clash to play out like that.<\/p>\n \u2018Semi-finals are slightly different\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had a few high-scoring games this year. I know Bordeaux have as well, but semi-finals are slightly different,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u2019s about staying in every moment and not allowing it to become that loose game, that end-to-end sort of stuff. It becomes risky to have that in a semi-final.\u201d<\/p>\n The battle between Russell and Bordeaux playmaker Matthieu Jalibert should be one of the highlights of Sunday\u2019s semi-final and whoever comes out on top in that direct duel is also expected to finish on the winning side.<\/p>\n \u201cJalibert plays with no fear. He is a big threat to us,\u201d said the 33-year-old Russell. \u201cThey are a great attacking team. When they get momentum, how do you stop it? It\u2019s about feel.\u201d<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n