RB Leipzig vs PSG
RB Leipzig and PSG are going to convene at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday as part of their preparations for the long 2024-25 campaign ahead.
This is going to be the hosts’ third Club Friendly game before they start their season with a DFB-Pokal first-round matchup against Essen. And so far, the Marco Rose-coached side has had mixed Club Friendly 2024 results, winning 2-0 against Aston Villa and losing 3-0 to Wolves earlier this week.
PSG, on the other hand, started their pre-season tour a little later. The Parisiens are coming off a 2-2 draw against Sturm Graz, and this will be their final pre-season match before they open their Ligue 1 title defence against Le Havre.
While building up fitness and figuring out the right lineups are the utmost priorities for these two teams, expect RB Leipzig and PSG to put on a show in front of the fans, as both are gunning for a victory.
Talking Points
Losing Olmo is huge for RB Leipzig
After playing for the Red Bulls in the past four seasons, Dani Olmo is headed to Barcelona, which paid €60 million for his transfer.
Olmo has overseen the rise of RB Leipzig to the upper echelon of European football. In his final season in Saxony, he recorded five goals and five assists across all competitions.
With Olmo leaving the club, Xavi Simons will reprise his playmaking role at RB Leipzig in his second loan stint.
The Dutch midfielder had 10 goals and 13 assists in all competitions in his first loan stint at RB Leipzig, and the team will need him more than ever with Olmo gone.
Simons will renew his partnership with forwards Lois Openda, Benjamin Sesko, and Yussuf Poulsen, who combined for 49 goals and 12 assists in all competitions last term.
RB Leipzig managed to sign Maarten Vandevoordt and Assan Ouedraogo this summer, but another man to look out for is Andre Silva.
The Portuguese striker is returning from his loan stint at Real Sociedad, where he recorded only three goals in all competitions last term. He scored in RB Leipzig’s win over Aston Villa last week, and he has a point to prove.
New era for PSG
PSG have already started a new life without Kylian Mbappe, and the good news is that they have enough weapons to compensate, at least here in Ligue 1.
With Mbappe leaving for Real Madrid, Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani are set to take over up front, while Vitinha, Ousmane Dembele, Lee Kang-In, Marco Asensio, and Carlos Soler will play bigger roles under head coach Luis Enrique.
Goncalo Ramos was the other double-digit scorer for the Parisiens last term, with 11 goals, while Randal Kolo Muani had seven goals and five assists.
Bradley Barcola can also fight for his minutes this upcoming season. The 21-year-old had five goals and eight assists last season, and he is currently playing for France in the ongoing Paris Games.
Xavi Simons would’ve been a big help for PSG, but the team probably saw him as surplus to their needs next season, especially with Lee Kang-In and Vitinha playing in the same position as him.
History
RB Leipzig and PSG will square off for the first time since November 2021. The last time these two teams met was in the 2020-21 Champions League group stage, where they shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw as Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai scored for the Red Bulls and Gini Wijnaldum had a brace for the Parisiens.
PSG won 3-2 in the reverse fixture, as Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi (brace) scored while Andre Silva and Nordi Mukiele found the back of the net in the losing effort.
RB Leipzig and PSG booked their tickets to the Round of 16 because they both tallied 12 points in Group H, but the former was eliminated early by Liverpool while the latter were beaten by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Before that, RB Leipzig and PSG met in the 2019-20 Champions League semi-finals, where the latter won 3-0, courtesy of goals from Marquinhos, Angel Di Maria, and Juan Bernat.
These two clubs are back in the Champions League this upcoming season, as RB Leipzig finished within the Bundesliga top four while PSG won their third consecutive Ligue 1 trophy.
Because PSG no longer have Kylian Mbappe on their side, the SBOTOP Club Friendly 2024 odds predict a close game, so don’t be surprised if this ends up being another draw for the Parisiens.
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