Arsenal is hosting Paris Saint-Germain in the first Champions League semi-final at Emirates Stadium.
What We Know
- First leg of the Champions League semi-finals. The winner after two legs in this duel will advance and face either Barcelona or Inter in the final.
- In five duels between the two, the Gunners are undefeated (2-3-0 and 7-4 goals, including a 2-0 win this season).
- In this season’s Champions League, Arsenal have a 5-1-0 record at home, keeping a clean sheet in every victory.
- No draws in seven away games for PSG (4-0-3).
Betting Tip Arsenal - PSG
Considering the attacking options and quality on both sides, it will be hard for either to be contained. They can both score consistently, and they will likely do so against each other, making BTTS the preferred pick.
- Betting tip: BTTS
- Odds: 1.70 (at the time of writing)
- Stake: 3
Arsenal
This is it for Arsenal when it comes to winning any trophies this season. If they go through to the final, they could make history and win the club’s first Champions League title. By the looks of it, Arsenal will finish second in the Premier League, and they are out of both domestic cups.
The Gunners reached the Champions League semis for the first time in 16 years following two very convincing wins over title holders Real Madrid in the quarter finals. At this point, everything is possible for Arsenal as they shouldn’t be afraid of anyone.
Arsenal and PSG played in the group phase of this season’s campaign, with Arsenal winning the match 2-0 at home. However, the mental element of a knockout round is entirely different, and PSG managed to raise its form significantly in the past months.
This Arsenal team may not have the experience of playing at this stage of the competition, but this season is not like the previous ones. Arteta’s team had a longer break before this match than the Parisians, which could mean they are fresh for this duel.
PSG
Ever since Luis Enrique’s takeover, the Champions League trophy has been the biggest goal. PSG winning the Ligue 1 title is no surprise, as they didn’t even have a true opponent in the title race, but this season’s team is proving to be perhaps the best PSG team has had in a while.
The difference is striking. After a few difficult months at the beginning of the season, Luis Enrique has managed to transform the team into a well-oiled machine. PSG knocked out Liverpool in the Round of 16, the best team of the Champions League group stage.
They faced another English side in the quarter-finals, Aston Villa, and after winning 3-1 at home, and taking an early 2-0 lead in the rematch, it seemed like it could be a walk in the park for the French side.
Villains managed to pull together and score three times, and were just one goal away from extra time, but fell short in the end.
Now PSG is facing the third English club in a row, and we can guarantee that it’s not going to be easy for the French champions. Avoiding individual errors will go a long way towards advancing, but they will need much more if they wish to reach the final.
