Read our prediction for RB Leipzig vs Zenit Petersburg below. This preview was written by a sport journalist who is specialised in betting tips and predictions. Use our betting tips for the match between RB Leipzig vs Zenit Petersburg and you can increase your winnings!
RB Leipzig vs Zenit Petersburg Prediction & Betting tips
The vegetables against the experienced rotten, we could call the diptych between RB Leipzig and Zenit St. Petersburg in the eighth finals of the Europa League. The Germans are making their debut in Europe this season, but have now shown that they do not have to worry about anyone. The Russians are part of the party almost every year and even managed to win the Europa League in 2008 with Dick Advocaat as coach.
RB Leipzig :
Opinions about the rise of RasenBallsport Leipzig, which was founded just nine years ago, are rather divided in Germany. Is the club a German football fairytale or is it a commercial monster? Those Bullen are indeed absolutely no Traditionsverein and show that with money nowadays everything is for sale. On the other hand, it is nice that a newcomer can make it difficult for the established order, although Red Bull will have to invest a little more money to knock Bayern Munich off the throne. With a sixth place and 39 points from 25 rounds in the German Bundesliga, the gap of RB Leipzig on the Rekordmeister is no less than 24 points.
Anyway, I have a lot of respect for the work that the Austrian trainer Ralph Hasenhüttl delivers in the Red Bull Arena. In the previous round of the Europa League, with a very handsome 1-3 victory in the San Paolo, he managed to lay the foundation for the elimination of Napoli, which leads in the Italian Serie A to the rankings. Timo Werner in particular had it in his match with two goals on his hips. The attacker celebrated his 22nd birthday this week and symbolizes the vision of Die Bullen, who with a very young selection is emphatically busy with the future.
The average age of the intended base eleven of next Thursday is only 23.3 years, with goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and midfielder Kevin Kampl (both 27) as ‘routiniers.’ RB Leipzig is bursting with talent, though it also makes the team a bit erratic. After the memorable 1-3 victory over Napoli, the East Germans immediately crashed three times. In the return against Napoli it was even buttocks squeezing, but despite a 0-2 loss, the team of Hasenhüttl went on to the eighth finals of the Europa League. Last weekend, RB Leipzig was able to halt its set of defeats against Borussia Dortmund with a 1-1 draw, although the team did not play a role in the battle for Champions League qualification. “Last season, we were hunted,” said captain Willi Orban. “This year we are the hunters.”
Zenit Petersburg:
Zenit St. Petersburg is in all respects the absolute opposite of RB Leipzig. Not only does the club celebrate its 93th anniversary this year, the Russian superpower also has a preference for big names. Players like Aleksandr Kokorin, Leandro Paredes and Branislav Ivanovic and of course trainer Roberto Mancini know the whip and have already made everything. Yet the Russian star formation in the Netherlands is disappointing. The fact that Zenit took St. Petersburg next season next to Champions League football was a huge disappointment, but with a current fourth place in the Russian Premier League, the blue-witches are also threatening to fall out of business this year. Last weekend, Mancini’s team against Amkar Perm did not reach any further than a goalless draw. With three red cards, of which two for the Zenit Sint-Peterburg players Alexandr Erokhin and Domenico Criscito, the frustrations were running high.
Erokhin and Criscito are obviously available on Thursday evenings, but Zenit St. Petersburg will have to make it on German soil without playmaker Leandro Paredes (suspended). That is a huge loss, because the Argentinian is the absolute star of the team and may be seen as the conductor of the Russian attack game. It is now up to Daler Kuzyaev to get up, because midfielders like Matias Kranevitter and Erokhin are in fact nothing more than climbers. Kuzyaev does surprisingly well in his first season at Zenit St. Petersburg, but normally he can not even tie the laces of Paredes.