Julius OkorieArsenal who have so far posted an impressive run in this year’s champions League will be hoping to continue to cruise when they welcome PSG tonight at the Emirates.
The big event is the first leg of the two-legged semi-finals with the second leg billed for Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on May 7.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelTo get to this point, Arsenal produced a photo finish in their two legged quarterfinal encounter against La Liga giants Real Madrid, thrashing the Carlo Ancelotti tutored side 3-0 at the Emirates and again running away with another 2-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu to progress on 5-1 aggregate.
READ ALSO:Full List: Champions League Top Scorers After Last Leg Quarter-final Clash
The Arsenal, PSG encounter no doubt promises to be a blockbuster battle as both teams dream of finally ending their excruciating waits for European stardom.
Arsenal, are making their Champions League semis for the third time ever, and the first time since 2009.
Having lost to Manchester United that year, three seasons after final heartbreak at the hands of Barcelona, the North London giants hold a 50% success rate from previous UCL semi-finals, but there is no doubting the Gunners’ credentials as genuine contenders for a long-awaited crown this time around. The fighting spirit is infectious.
Indeed, Arteta has overseen a magnificent eight-game unbeaten run in the 2024-25 Champions League – the hosts’ longest such streak since a 12-game sequence in 2005-06 – while they coincidentally enter Tuesday’s game unbeaten in 12 in all competitions, winning six and drawing six.
Can Gunners Gun Down PSG At the Emirates?
However, Arsenal’s frequent inability to cling onto leads came back to bite them, just like it did on Wednesday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Crystal Palace – one that put Liverpool a single point away from title glory – and nine stalemates while leading in the 2024-25 English top flight is more than any other side.
Such frailties must be capitalised upon by Luis Enrique and his men if they do not suffer the same fate like Real Madrid in the hands of the Gunners in this all important first leg at the Emirates.
If PSG’s recent Ligue 1 travails are anything to go by, that beating at Villa Park knocked them for six; in their three domestic games since, they have scraped a 2-1 win over Le Havre, drawn 1-1 with Nantes and lost their Invincible status in a shock home loss to Nice on Friday night.
Enrique’s men can afford to take their eye off the ball domestically with their customary Ligue 1 title already in the bag, though, and by at least managing to hold Nantes to a two-goal stalemate on April 22, they are now on a sensational 18-game scoring streak away from home in all competitions.
Les Parisiens’ attack was stunted in a 2-0 league-phase loss to Arsenal at the Emirates back on October 1, a result that extended Arsenal’s run without defeat against PSG to five matches since their inaugural meeting.
Can PSG Take An Edge Against Regular Foes?
In fact, PSG have never faced another team on more occasions in European competition without ever winning than Arsenal, who must repeat their Real Madrid trick in front of their vociferous fans if they are to stand a chance of butting heads with Barcelona or Inter Milan on May 31.
Away from Arsenal,PSG clash tonight, tomorrow will be another day with eyes focused this time in another first leg clash between Barcelona and Inter Milan.
Tomorrow Is Barcelona And Inter Day!
With Barcelona and Inter Milan boasting rich histories in European football, this match promises to be packed with excitement, intensity as both teams battle to secure a crucial advantage ahead of the return leg.
At home, Barcelona have maintained a perfect record against Inter, winning all three previous matches without conceding a single goal, which sets a challenging precedent for the visiting team. They head into the clash fresh from a 3-2 defeat of arch rivals Real Madrid in the Copa del Rel.Barca have remained unbeaten in their last 13 Champions League home games against Italian sides, with 10 wins and 3 draws.
Inter Milan on the other hand, have encountered some challenges lately, suffering three consecutive defeats in Serie A without finding the back of the net in any of those matches. They have however shown solid resilience in Europe, losing just twice in their last 20 Champions League outings. The duo of Raphinha and Lautaro Martínez will be pivotal for both Barca and Inter respectively.
Raphinha has been outstanding this season, boasting 30 goals and 23 assists across all competitions. His creativity will be essential for Barcelona’s attacking strategy.Lautaro Martínez, on his part has netted five goals in eight Champions League matches this season for Inter. It will be an open game.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
