FanDuel Champions League Single-Game Helper: Manchester City vs. PSG (5/4/21)

The Champions League, the best soccer competition on the planet, rolls on, and FanDuel is offering plenty of contests for Tuesday's and Wednesday's semi-final matches.

This article will focus on the single-game Tuesday slate, which starts at 3 p.m. EST.

Per EPL odds, Manchester City (-145) are favorites in the second leg of this semi-final tie. PSG's odds come in at +340, with odds to draw set at +320. From an odds perspective, Manchester City is decent favorites, with an implied win probability of 59.2%, the best odds of any side in a Champions League semi-final thus far.

PSG followed up their loss in the first leg with an important one-goal victory over Lens on Saturday and now sits just a point out of first place in Ligue 1. They will not have Idrissa Gueye after he picked up a red card in the first leg, but their larger concern is the potential absence of star striker Kylian Mbappe ($13) . Mbappe missed Saturday's game with a calf injury, and despite traveling with the team to Manchester, could be unavailable on Tuesday. For a PSG side chasing a one-goal deficit, his absence would be a massive blow.

Manchester City backed up their win in the first leg with a two-goal victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday. They are well-positioned to win the Premier League and are just three points, or a Manchester United loss, away from clinching the title. They enter Tuesday with a fully fit and rested squad after several of their starters were rested on Saturday.

Here are some players to target at various salary ranges.

Forwards/Midfielders

Neymar ($14), PSG -- With Mbappe a question mark due to his calf injury, PSG's hopes of a comeback fall firmly on Neymar's shoulders. While things seem to be stacked against PSG coming into Tuesday, let's not forget that they had the better of the tie for the entire first half last week until their second-half collapse. They were nearly even with Manchester City on shots in the first leg (10 to 11) and are certainly capable of scoring the goals they need to advance to the final. If they are to do so, it may need to come from a Neymar masterclass performance.

If Mbappe is available, both he and Neymar make for excellent options. PSG needs at least two goals to advance and should be pressing for most of the fixture. Neymar has an average of 25.8 FanDuel points per game of his last six starts with a combined 23 shots and 22 chances created over that stretch. His odds to score of +185 are the fifth-best on the slate.

Riyad Mahrez ($10), Manchester City -- Mahrez was rested on Saturday and should be fully fit and ready to go for Tuesday's second leg. With PSG required to push for multiple goals, City should have far more opportunities to counter than they usually do. Kevin De Bruyne ($15) is, of course, deserving of consideration, but Mahrez's lower salary provides some valuable resources that can be allocated elsewhere. He scored in the first leg and has two goals over his last three starts, with an average of 26.3 FanDuel points per game over his last seven starts. He has only failed to produce double-digit FanDuel points once in his last 12 starts and is well-positioned to deliver again on Tuesday.

Phil Foden ($10), Manchester City -- Foden is expected to operate on City's left wing, opposite Mahrez, and should also benefit from a PSG side forced to be aggressive. Foden is on an absolute tear recently, with FanDuel point totals of 21.9, 30.3, 34.2, and 40.8 in his last four starts. Over that stretch, he has a combined 12 shots, eight on goal, three goals, and eight chances created. His odds to score of +165 are even with both De Bruyne and Mahrez.

Defenders

Marquinhos, PSG ($9) -- It's rather rare that a central defender goes on an absolute goal-scoring tear but that's exactly what has happened with Marquinhos recently. He has a goal in each of his last three matches after a 17-match goal-scoring drought. While it's a safe bet that his scoring will regress, his recent form has certainly earned him consideration in a game that will require PSG to score at least twice. Over his last four Champions League fixtures, against Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona, he has produced FanDuel point totals of 29.1, 34.3, 16.9, and 10.4. He should be plenty involved on Tuesday regardless of how the fixture plays out.

Oleksandr Zinchenko, Manchester City ($7) -- Zinchenko made a short 23-minute appearance as a substitute on Saturday which could hint at a starting spot on Tuesday. In the first leg, he came on in the second half and delivered a critical assist, resulting in a 13.9 FanDuel point performance with just 29 minutes played. In a match that is likely to be open, he should have opportunities to produce points on both ends of the pitch. He has failed to reach double-digit FanDuel points just once in his last 15 starts.