PSG v RB Leipzig Prediction: Champions League | 19.10.2021


Champions League action returns this midweek with a collection of exciting matches to look forward to. In Group A, PSG welcomes German Bundesliga side, RB Leipzig, to Paris for a crucial match that will kick off at 20:00 GMT and be shown to a global audience on live television. Supporters of English Premier League club Manchester City will be paying close attention to this one as they find out their main rivals for the top spot in the pool.

PSG enter match three of the group in pole position on four points, but they have Club Bruges for company, ahead only on goal difference. A victory and three points for the French Ligue 1 side would move them a step closer to qualification for the knockout rounds of the tournament while strengthening their position to progress as pool winners. Their opponents are bottom of the pile and know anything other than a victory here could end their already slim chances of going through. There’s all to play for here.

This will be the fourth match involving these teams, and the Parisians lead the head to head stats with two wins against one for the Germans. The most recent meeting produced a 1-0 home win for PSG last November, with the winning goal scored by Neymar from the penalty spot on 11 minutes. Will they make home advantage count again, or can the Bulls fire themselves back into contention by bagging an away win?

Parisians unbeaten so far

Group A looks to be one of the most competitive pools in the competition this year, with PSG, RB Leipzig, Man City and Club Bruges making up the list. Most respected pundits had predicted it would be a three-way fight for the top two places, and that may prove to be the case, but Club Bruges have started much stronger than expected and are in the running at this stage. PSG must concentrate on themselves, and if they continue to rack up wins, they will progress to the next round as winners of the group.

The French side certainly look good enough to achieve just that, and a win here would put them in the driving seat. That won’t be lost on the players as they prepare for action. They enter this match with four points on the board thanks to an opening day draw with Club Bruges followed by a win in their most recent start. That victory came over Manchester City at this venue late last month thanks to a 2-0 scoreline. In what was an intriguing early match involving two early favourites to lift the trophy, PSG drew first blood with a crucial win and three points that served as a statement of intent to the rest of the competition.

Gueye scored the opening goal of that home game against the English Premier League champions when finding the net on eight minutes. That lead helped settle the players, and they built on the solid foundations. Former Barcelona star Lionel Messi hit the second for his new club, killing Pep Guardiola’s side with 74 minutes on the clock. There’s still plenty of football to be played in this season’s Champions League, but PSG look better equipped to lift the trophy than they have ever been.

Bulls need a win

RB Leipzig fans didn’t enter this season’s UEFA Champions League expecting to lift the trophy next spring, but they would have strongly fancied their chances of making it through to the latter stages. A quarter-final appearance was the least supporters hoped to see, but that already looks to be a big ask, and the Bulls could end up dropping into the Europa League. Even a third-place finish in Group A would require RB to seriously improve their performances and results after two defeats in their opening two games.

The visitors enter game three stuck to the foot of the group without a point on the board, scoring four goals but conceding eight. That shows where their problems lie, as four goals in two starts would be enough to see most teams challenge for first place. A fragile defence is wrecking the excellent work done by the Leipzig attack, and that’s something they must address and fix as soon as possible.

The Bulls opened the show with an embarrassing 6-3 defeat in England against Manchester City before falling to a surprise 2-1 home defeat against Club Bruges when last seen in this competition. Leipzig took the lead that day thanks to an opening goal from Nkunku on five minutes but were beaten by goals from Vanaken and Rits. Despite having the entire second half to get level, RB were unable to get that all-important second goal and rescue a point. That means they are now four points off the pace set by their opponent.

PSG v RB Leipzig prediction

PSG holds the home advantage and have been the better team in this group so far, taking four of the six points available to them. They are playing great football, scoring goals and defending well. Messi is already off the mark and will be determined to use his experience and clash to fire his new employers to a historic Champions League title. The attacker will want to continue his scoring ways in this game.

RB Leipzig may be the away team, but they are the side playing under pressure, and the visitors know this is a game they have to win. If the Germans fail to take a point from their first three games, they will be in real trouble of being eliminated from the competition and could end up as the lowest-ranked side in the pool. To have any chance of getting even a draw from this match, the Bulls must strengthen their defence, but that won’t be easy when the likes of Messi and Neymar are bearing down on them for 90 minutes.

Champions League odds

PSG can be backed for the win on Tuesday at 1.45 while 22bet members can support RB Leipzig for the away win at 6.55. The draw is 4.7.

Make sure to bet on PSG v RB Leipzig with 22Bet!



Source link

Back to top button