Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) hold a narrow lead going into the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Arsenal after winning 1-0 in London last week.
With the French league title already secured, PSG are chasing a historic treble and have plenty of confidence, especially as this will be their sixth match in a row in Europe against English opposition (W3, L2).
Most of those games have been very close, including their recent 2-1 league loss to Strasbourg where key players were rested.
Although PSG have won three of their last four home games in the Champions League, they’ve also lost at home this season to Atlético Madrid and Liverpool. However, the stats are in their favour — they’ve gone through in 18 of their last 19 UEFA ties after winning the first leg away.
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Arsenal, on the other hand, are facing a tough challenge. Their first-leg loss to PSG ended a 12-game unbeaten run in all competitions and was only their second defeat in the Champions League this season.
That result was followed by a 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth, which could affect their confidence. Historically, Arsenal have never managed to come back and win a European tie after losing the first leg at home.
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The Gunners are unbeaten in their last four away games in this competition, scoring 16 goals while conceding one in each match. Keeping a clean sheet might be hard, but they’ve shown they can outscore opponents on the road.
Players to watch
For PSG, Nuno Mendes scored in both legs of the quarter-final against Aston Villa and has netted four of his last five club goals in Europe.
Declan Rice recently played his 100th match for Arsenal and has three goals in his last four UCL games, including a strike against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Ghana international Thomas Partey is back after missing the first leg due to suspension and will provide the midfield shield for Rice and Odegaard to move freely upfront.
Fun fact
Arsenal haven’t let in a single Champions League goal later than the 70th minute this season.
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Prediction
Less than two will be scored in the opening 45 minutes of this clash.
