UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Lisbon, Portugal.
This year’s Champions League semi-finals sees no Spanish or English teams for the first time since 1991 as Leipzig face Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon battle it out vs Bayern Munich!
RB Leipzig vs Paris Saint-Germain
Tuesday 18th August, 20:00 (BST), BT Sport 1
Leipzig are playing in their first-ever Champions League semi-final while this is PSG’s second Champions League semi-final after making it to this stage during the 94/95 season.
Leipzig topped their group with ease, beat Tottenham 4-0 in the round of 16 and needed a late deflected winner against Atletico Madrid during a 2-1 quarter-final win. Meanwhile, PSG waltzed through the group stage with 16 points but found things much trickier in the knockout stage. They needed to come from behind after an away loss to Dortmund winning 3-2 on aggregate, and they waited until very late against Atalanta; grabbing two injury-time goals after being 0-1 down by the 90-minute mark.
This is uncharted territory for both teams, and it will be interesting to see how PSG handle the occasion considering they’re the favourites and are also known to struggle in tense situations. However, the late-winner against Atalanta may have removed their mental block regarding the Champions League. PSG will be hoping that Kylian Mbappe is fit as he helped turn the tie around with his pace after being sent on. Leipzig will have to be wary of the immense attacking threat that PSG pose as he, along with Neymar, are arguably the most fearsome attacking duo in world football at the moment. Leipzig do have the much sought-after defender Dayot Upamecano at the back, can he stop the PSG attack? Leipzig are at 16/5 to restrict the Parisians to under one goal.
Betting tip: Leipzig to win at 16/5.
Lyon vs Bayern Munich
Wednesday 19th August, 20:00 (BST), BT Sport 1
Both sides are reeling after their unexpected semi-final performances and results. Bayern Munich battered Barcelona 8-2 while Lyon managed a 3-1 upset win over favourites Manchester City. After the mauling of Barcelona, Bayern head into this one as firm favourites, but they won’t be underestimating Lyon — a team that have knocked out two leading contenders in Juventus and Manchester City. Lyon will follow the same game plan as in their quarter-final by springing lethal counter-attacks and trying to exploit Bayern’s high defensive line. It will be interesting to see if Bayern Munich keep the same high line like in their match vs the Catalans. Lyon have faster players and are more used to playing counter-attacking football and Munich may well be looking to adjust.
Betting tip: Bayern Munich to win and both teams to score at 5/4.
Whatever you bet on, enjoy the game and don’t forget that our prices are subject to fluctuation. Please check our Sports Betting page for the latest odds.