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All you need to know for Arsenal's Champions League semi-final

26 Apr 2025
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Ben Bloom previews the Gunners' much-anticipated match against PSG, as their quest for European glory continues

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Football writer Ben Bloom looks forward to the UEFA Champions League semi-final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.

Arsenal are the last of the English quartet standing in the UEFA Champions League and now face PSG after overcoming 15-time European champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

Here is everything you need to know about the Gunners' semi-final...

UEFA Champions League
Arsenal v Paris Saint-Germain

First leg: Arsenal v PSG, Tuesday 29 April, 20:00 BST
Second leg: PSG v Arsenal, Wednesday 7 May, 20:00 BST

It is almost two decades since Arsenal last featured in a UEFA Champions League final. Standing in their way is a team they have already beaten this season, in the form of French champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Mikel Arteta’s side ran out 2-0 winners when the two sides met at the Emirates Stadium in the league phase of this tournament last October, scoring twice early on and then digging in as PSG pushed in the second half.

Havertz's goal against PSG earlier this season

In fact, Arsenal have not lost any of their five meetings with PSG, although the French side have proved themselves to be an entirely different entity over recent months to the team that lost on their last trip to London.

Having required a knockout phase play-off victory over fellow French side Brest to reach the last 16, Luis Enrique’s team ended Liverpool and Aston Villa’s European campaigns over the past two rounds.

Yet Arsenal have been no less impressive, thrashing PSV Eindhoven and then winning both legs against the giants of Real Madrid to claim their semi-final place.

PSG's recent form

For all that PSG’s attacking brilliance has routinely been exhibited through Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue, recent results have been underwhelming.

A 3-2 second-leg defeat at Villa – which did not affect their progression – started a run of four games which have yielded just one win. Indeed, they followed a midweek draw at Nantes with a shock 3-1 defeat at home to Nice last Friday evening.

That was their first league loss of the campaign, ending their bid to become the first ever unbeaten Ligue 1 side.

With the title already long ago confirmed though, focus has naturally been on European endeavours, and Nice certainly rode their luck: PSG enjoyed 76 per cent possession and took 32 shots, while the visitors scored with their only three shots on target.

The third of those goals came from a free-kick, and PSG’s young side have repeatedly shown themselves to be vulnerable at set-pieces. Conversely, they have been one of Arsenal’s biggest weapons.

"We know they are very strong in this aspect," PSG captain Marquinhos told DAZN of Arsenal’s set-piece ability. "We can do better. We conceded a goal this way again. There will be strategies to put in place."

Arsenal's team news

The absence of the suspended Thomas Partey for the first leg is a blow to Arteta’s ambitions of using his side’s greater physicality to thwart PSG’s attacking prowess.

He will be desperate to have Mikel Merino available after the Spaniard missed last week’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace with an unspecified problem.

If Merino does return, Arteta will almost certainly field him in a midfield trio with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, with Leandro Trossard leading the line between Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

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