The Daily Star Ireland
RB Salzburg has had a tough time in this season’s Champions League, suffering four defeats in five games. They faced heavy losses to Sparta Prague (3-0), Stade Brestois (4-0), and Dinamo Zagreb (2-0). However, they managed to secure a 1-3 win against Feyenoord, showing some resilience. Unfortunately, their momentum was short-lived as they were beaten 5-0 by Bayer Leverkusen in their most recent match. As a result, Salzburg sits in 32nd place out of 36 teams in the competition. Their domestic league form hasn’t been much better, as they trail behind leaders Sturm Graz. They will aim to close the gap by facing Hartberg twice before this match.
PSG, on the other hand, has had a disappointing Champions League campaign, collecting only 4 points from their first five matches. They are not in contention for a top-24 spot, which would guarantee advancement to the knockout stage.
Their struggles include a narrow 1-0 win over Girona, disappointing draws with Arsenal (2-0) and PSV Eindhoven (1-1), and a loss to Atlético (1-0). A 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich has left PSG in a difficult position, where a loss in this match would seriously harm their chances of progression. Despite their struggles in Europe, PSG is performing well domestically, sitting atop Ligue 1. They will face FC Nantes and AJ Auxerre before this crucial game.
Salzburg will be without several key players for this match, including young talents Gadou, E. Baidoo, and Diakité, who were not registered for the competition. Injured players such as striker Fernando, right-back Morgalla, defender Okoh, midfielders Kjaergaard, Kawamura, and goalkeeper Blaswich, along with top scorer Konaté, who was injured against Bayer Leverkusen, will also be absent. This leaves young Israeli striker Gloukh as the key player to watch for Salzburg.
For PSG, Lucas Hernandez is sidelined with a long-term injury, and Mayulu is also unavailable. Kimpembe and Gonçalo Ramos, who recently returned from injury, are expected to feature in the squad, while Ousmane Dembélé, suspended after his red card against Bayern, will not play. PSG will look to Bradley Barcola, the top scorer in Ligue 1 with 10 goals, to step up after a lackluster performance in the Champions League so far. Ramos could be the central figure at forward, with PSG’s goalkeeper situation still uncertain between Donnaruma and Safonov.
Prediction
Given Salzburg’s recent home games in the Champions League have often been low-scoring, and PSG’s away games have also typically produced fewer than 2.5 goals, this match is expected to follow a similar trend.
Prediction: Salzburg 0 – 1 PSG
