Salzburg vs PSG Prediction: 10/12/2024

RB Salzburg has struggled in this season’s Champions League, suffering four losses in five matches. They were heavily defeated by Sparta Prague (3-0), Stade Brestois (4-0), and Dinamo Zagreb (2-0). However, they did show resilience with a 1-3 victory over Feyenoord. Unfortunately, their momentum was short-lived, as they were thrashed 5-0 by Bayer Leverkusen in their most recent match.

As a result, Salzburg sits in 32nd place out of the 36 teams in the competition. Their performance in the domestic league hasn’t been stellar either, trailing behind leader Sturm Graz. They will look to reduce the gap by facing Hartberg twice before this match.

On the other hand, PSG has had a disappointing Champions League campaign, earning only 4 points from the first five matches. They are not even in contention for a top-24 spot, which would guarantee qualification for the knockout stage. After struggling to beat Girona 1-0, they were disappointing in draws against Arsenal (2-0) and PSV Eindhoven (1-1), and lost to Atlético (1-0).

A 1-0 defeat to Bayern put them in a difficult position, meaning that anything other than a win in this match would severely hurt their chances of advancing. In contrast, PSG is performing well in Ligue 1, sitting at the top of the table. They will face FC Nantes and AJ Auxerre in the league 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 Brazilian striker Fernando, right-back Morgalla, defender Okoh, midfielders Kjaergaard, Kawamura, and goalkeeper Blaswich, along with their top scorer Konaté, who was injured against Bayer Leverkusen, will also be absent.

This leaves young Israeli striker Gloukh as the standout player to watch for Salzburg. PSG, on the other hand, will miss Lucas Hernandez, who is sidelined with a long-term injury, and the young Mayulu. Kimpembe and Gonçalo Ramos, who recently returned from injury, should feature in the squad, while Ousmane Dembélé, suspended after his red card against Bayern, will be unavailable.

PSG will rely on Ligue 1’s top scorer Bradley Barcola (10 goals) to step up, as he has been underwhelming in the Champions League so far. Ramos could be the key figure at center forward, with PSG’s goalkeeper situation uncertain between Donnaruma and Safonov.

Prediction

Given that Salzburg’s recent home games in the Champions League have often seen low-scoring encounters, and PSG’s away matches have also tended to produce fewer than 2.5 goals, this match is expected to follow a similar pattern.

Prediction: Salzburg 0 – 1 PSG