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The Champions League Semi-Finals have finally arrived! Leg 1 of this Tuesday’s Champions League lineup finds Arsenal F.C. at home in the Emirates Stadium against a strong Paris Saint-Germain side. The game kicks off at 3 PM ET, so don’t forget to look at our picks for the first leg of this afternoon’s epic showdown and decide whether they’re something you want to back or ignore!
First place in the English Premier League this week was claimed by Liverpool F.C., and while Arsenal (67 points) sits with a five-point comfortable lead in 2nd place over Newcastle United, they have yet to assuredly secure the spot on the ladder. Since their surprising spanking of Real Madrid in the Champions League, which ended 5-1 on aggregate in favor of the Gunners on April 15, Arsenal has been in decent form with 1 win and 1 draw in their domestic league since then, the first of which saw a 4-0 blowout over Ipswich Town on April 20. The Gunners’ next (and most recent) match against Crystal Palace saw a 2-2 draw at home, leading into their next Champions League game against PSG with a 12-game unbeaten streak since February 22.
Arsenal have showcased spectacular composure in this year’s Champions League, winning the first leg of the Quarter-Finals against the reigning champions of Real Madrid 3-0 at home with two freekick goals from Declan Rice and a 75’ finish from Mikel Merino. This gave them an extremely comfortable lead heading into the second leg, where both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli would net a goal a piece, only allowing Madrid’s Vinicius Junior to take back 1 goal for the Gunners’ 5-1 aggregate win. While Arsenal has shared the goal-scoring across multiple personnel, winger Bukayo Saka has scored 5 goals in seven games, with Declan Rice and Kai Havertz coming in with 4 goals each. If Arenal can dominate the midfield to retain possession against PSG and prevent their flanks from being exposed to the French side’s pace, Arsenal could find a formula for success in this one.
Paris Saint-Germain (78 points) easily sealed the Ligue 1 title with six games to spare on April 5, achieving their 12th season title in history. Since their scrapping 5-4 aggregate victory over Aston Villa in the Champions League Quarterfinals, the French side showcased a 1-1-1 record in their domestic league throughout mid-April. Since returning to Ligue 1, PSG would take a narrow 2-1 victory over Le Havre while resting many starters as they already secured the league title. Three days later, they played Nantes in a 1-1 draw before losing 3-1 in their most recent match against OGC Nice at home on April 25.
PSG continued one of their best runs in Champions League history, even though they ran into trouble in the quarterfinals against Aston Villa. Leg 1 saw a promising 3-1 victory over the English side on April 9, with goals coming from Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
and Nuno Mendes. While they lost the second leg 3-2 on the scoreline with only Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes netting goals for the team, they still escaped to the semifinals 5-4 on aggregate. It’s been a while since PSG winger Ousmane Dembele added to his tally of 7 goals, but with some fire under his belly this game, he could score at least 1+ goals before the end of the night. Nuno Mendes continues to be crucial to the team’s goal-scoring, with a goal in his last two Champions League games, earning him 4 in total so far, with both Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue not far behind with 3 goals a piece. Outside back Achraf Hakimi leads the assist charts in 2nd place with 5 in total, with Fabian Ruiz earning 4 assists throughout the campaign, showing just how deadly this PSG team can be on the flanks and through the midfield.
Arenal takes the home-field advantage in Leg 1 of this matchup, and while unbeaten in their last 12 games, PSG will not be easy to break down. Arsenal’s destruction of Real Madrid most certainly lifted spirits for the team, and we expect them to dominate the midfield and possession for most of this game. PSG will most likely look to counterattack on the wings with their exceptional pace, so Arsenal will need to shut down any crosses that come into the box from either side, as well as not turn over possession for unwanted counterattacks. This one’s up in the air, and while we expect Ousmane Dembele to end his goal-scoring drought this afternoon, this first leg will likely end in a draw.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.