RB Leipzig vs PSG Match Preview and Predictions

This week’s Champions League semi-finals involve German and French teams facing each other on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the first of these sees Ligue 1 champions PSG take on RB Leipzig in Lisbon.

PSG only made it to the last four by the skin of their teeth on Wednesday when they trailed Atalanta until the final minute only for Marquinhos and former Stoke striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to turn the game on its head in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Leipzig also had some late drama in their quarter-final as a deflected shot from substitute Tyler Adams secured a 2-1 victory against Atletico Madrid.

Match information

When is it? Tuesday August 18th

What time is kick-off? 20:00

Where is it being played? Estadio da Luz, Lisbon

Which channel is it on? BT Sport 1

RB Leipzig vs PSG Betting Tips

Here are our best tips for the first Champions League semi-final for which we also have a range of other markets available:

The lowdown

Big-spending PSG are hardly overwhelming favourites to reach their first Champions League final after a thrilling comeback against Atalanta, who have been one of the most entertaining teams in Serie A and Europe this season.

PSG last played at this stage 25 years ago, 14 years before RB Leipzig were founded, but they have long been regarded as bottlers having exited at the quarter-final stage four years in a row from 2013-16 and in the round of 16 in the three following seasons.

Their most dispiriting exit came in the 2016-17 campaign when they took a 4-0 lead to Barcelona and conceded three times from the 88th minute to lose 6-1 on the night and 6-5 on aggregate.

😍@ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/FZuNeqfMvb

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 17, 2020

Two years later at the same round of 16 stage, Kylian Mbappe scored the second goal as a rampant PSG side ran out 2-0 winners at Old Trafford, but Manchester United fought back to win 3-1 in Paris and go through to the quarter-finals on goal difference.

These experiences are bound to play on the minds of the French champions, who are 11/4 second favourites behind Bayern Munich (4/7) to win the competition and they have mixed news for the clash with Leipzig.

On the downside is the fact they will be without experienced goalkeeper Keylor Navas who tore a hamstring in the closing stages of the quarter-final.

📺🔴🔵 #LeMAG – EP 7⃣

In the heart of camp in Lisbon with @marquinhos_m5 and Choupo 💬#WeAreParis pic.twitter.com/fNRCZAHR2U

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 17, 2020

That means a rare start for Sergio Rico, who started just two Ligue 1 matches last season, plus the 5-0 win against Galatasaray during the group stage.

On a positive note, Mbappe had virtually been written off for the season just over four weeks ago when an horrific tackle in the French League Cup final against St Etienne reduced him to tears, but he came on for the last 30 minutes against Atalanta and looked threatening.

📹 With just one day to go until our #UCL semi-final, relive last Thursday's victory below 🔥🔥

🔴⚪ #MissaoFinal pic.twitter.com/IC3GD9k7jQ

— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) August 17, 2020

Leipzig, like PSG, are also an attacking side and when they scored their opener against Atletico had six men inside the penalty area.

However, their chances of causing another upset have been weakened by the summer sale of top scorer Timo Werner whose 28 Bundesliga goals and four in the Champions League played a major part in their successful domestic and European campaigns.

The Germans are still a threat going forward and PSG have only played three competitive matches since they were awarded the Ligue 1 title in March, but Thomas Tuchel’s side to win and over 2.5 goals is the first of our Leipzig vs PSG betting tips.

First goalscorer tips

There are several high-profile contenders to open the scoring on Tuesday, but Mauro Icardi was virtually anonymous against Atalanta, Mbappe was deemed only fit enough for a place on the bench and Neymar squandered several excellent chances for PSG.

With that in mind, we fancy Leipzig to open the scoring and think Marcel Sabitzer looks good value at 14/1 to break the deadlock.

The Austrian midfielder scored twice in the 3-0 second-leg win against Tottenham in the round of 16, one from distance and the other a near-post header, and finished just one goal behind striker Patrik Schick’s 10 in the Bundesliga, so he is clearly a danger.

Anytime goalscorer tips

Neymar had a nightmare against Atalanta by his standards but we cannot resist the 11/8 on offer for the Brazilian to get on the scoresheet on Tuesday.

The former Barcelona forward squandered a great chance when clean through in the early stages, shooting horribly wide, and he was even further off target with his left foot from a tightish angle later on, but otherwise he had a superb game for PSG.

Neymar is understandably rusty but if he gets a similar number of chances as he did last week, one of them is bound to hit the back of the net.

Where the game will be won or lost

Two attack-minded teams should produce a thrilling spectacle for those watching on television and goals could be the order of the day at the home ground of Benfica.

With both teams looking to reach a first Champions League final in this one-off game, we expect both teams to be on the front foot.

Leipzig's adventure in Lisbon 🐂⭐

To be continued… pic.twitter.com/hwf77FsLdx

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) August 16, 2020

Leipzig are well known for breaking at speed and their excellent 33-year-old coach Julian Nagelsmann is unlikely to change his philosophy with so much at stake.

Only Bayern Munich (100) and Borussia Dortmund (84) scored more than Leipzig’s 81 goals this season and, like PSG, they topped their Champions League group which saw fellow semi-finalists Lyon finish runners-up.

Champions League semi-finals: Marquinhos on Paris's trophy mission… #UCL https://t.co/ryClGZvH3u

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 17, 2020

The next of our Leipzig vs PSG betting tips, though, is for Marquinhos to be shown a yellow card at 9/2.

The Brazilian was the hero on Wednesday when his close-range equaliser paved the way for a stunning turnaround, but he has been booked in three of his last four matches and is expected to be under pressure against Leipzig’s marauding attack.

Marquinhos usually plays as a defender, but is likely to start in central midfield alongside Ander Herrera and Idrissa Gueye.

We are also drawn towards the 18/1 on Leipzig HT/PSG FT as the last of our Champions League predictions.

As good as PSG are, they are still getting used to playing competitively and against a team as forward-thinking as Leipzig they may find themselves trailing at the break as they were against Atalanta.