Champions League Semifinal Preview 5-4-21

Manchester City v. Paris Saint-Germain

The first spot in the Champions League Final is on the line tonight in Northwest England where Manchester City plays host to Paris Saint-Germain. Manchester City enters this game with a 2-1 lead on aggregate and away goals. PSG got off to a hot start in Paris before collapsing in the second half and conceding twice in the final 45 minutes leading to a back breaking loss. Tonight, PSG will have to lay it all on the line if they have any shot at returning to the Final. City enter this game fresh off a 2-0 victory on Saturday against Crystal Palace in league play. The blues from Manchester are champions elect at the moment in the Premier League and are fighting for a chance at a third trophy on the season here in the Champions League. Manager Pep Guardiola will roll out their usual 4-3-3 formation, which they actually didn’t use in the first leg. Man City will use their typical false 9 setup without a true striker in the formation as Kevin De Bruyne is slotted in as the fawx center forward this evening. PSG will use their typical 4-2-3-1 formation but it will be without their star man. Kylian Mbappe is on the bench tonight as he has a calf issue that renders him not 100% fit. Mbappe is eligible to be subbed on but he also enters this game fresh off his worst Champions League performance ever in the first leg where he failed to get a shot on target for the first time in his continental competition career. Essentially down by 2 goals, I expect PSG to play aggressive early and look to strike in the first half to give them a chance down the stretch at forcing extra time or even winning outright. I believe PSG has the quality to get one past Man City but the aggressive style of play will leave them vulnerable and Man City has incredible quality up front to strike at the smallest of openings.

The Bet: Both Teams to Score

Prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain