The semi-finals of the Champions League kick off on Tuesday with the clash between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain (21:00 live on blue Sport). The Londoners are dreaming of reaching the final for the second time since 2006.
29.04.2025, 12:00
29.04.2025, 12:21
SDA
Whoever knocks Real Madrid, the Champions League team par excellence, out of the competition with an aggregate score of 5:1 can also have hopes of winning the title. Arsenal are riding a wave of euphoria after their two victories against the "royals". The fact that Liverpool secured the Premier League title last weekend was only a side note in London. The Gunners' focus is on the Champions League and a possible first triumph.
The closest they came to this was 19 years ago. Back then, Arsenal also eliminated Real Madrid in the knockout phase and went through to the final. There, the English side, for whom Swiss defender Philippe Senderos was in the squad but did not play, lost 2-1 to Barcelona after conceding two late goals. Since then, the big stage has been reserved for other Premier League teams: Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and even Arsenal's arch-rivals Tottenham reached the final.
Young defenders impress
Arsenal have been particularly impressive this season with their ironclad defense. Only three goals were conceded in the league phase of the Champions League, while 29 goals conceded is the best figure in the championship. The age of the defenders recently deployed in the back four is particularly astonishing. Central defenders Jakub Kiwior and William Saliba are 25 and 24 years old, while full-backs Jurriën Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly are 23 and 18.
But the team from the English capital is also impressive in attack. They were able to compensate for the absence of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus thanks to unconventional measures. Central midfielder Mikel Merino was quickly converted into a striker and shone against Real with a goal in the first leg and two assists in the second leg. However, Merino is doubtful against PSG and coach Mikel Arteta, who has been in charge of the team since 2019, will probably have to resort to his bag of tricks again.
Already a clash in October
Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain on their way to the second CL final in the club's history. The two teams met back in October. The Londoners won the home game 2:0, a result that is encouraging but should not be overrated. After a bumpy start with three defeats in the first five rounds, the French side showed an impressive improvement.
After Liverpool (round of 16) and Aston Villa (quarter-final), coach Luis Enrique's team will be looking to defeat an English team for the third time in a row. However, PSG, who have already been crowned French champions, have never won in five meetings with Arsenal. If Arteta and Co. have their way, this statistic will continue.
