Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
Arsenal
Paris Saint-Germain
On Tuesday, April 29, in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final, Arsenal will host PSG. The match kicks off at 21:00 Central European Time. I suggest betting on the number of goals in this match.
Interesting facts about the match and head-to-head history
- Arsenal is unbeaten in 12 consecutive matches across all competitions.
- PSG has won only 2 of their last 5 matches.
- Arsenal has won 5 out of 6 home matches in this season's Champions League.
- PSG has lost three times away in the current Champions League.
- These teams have already met this season in the league stage. Arsenal won that game 2-0.
- This will be the sixth meeting between Arsenal and PSG in history. The Londoners have won twice, with the other three games ending in draws.
Match preview
Throughout this season, Arsenal has faced significant roster issues due to injuries. At various times, Mikel Arteta's team has been without Martin Ødegaard, Riccardo Calafiori, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Magalhães. Given this, their current second place in the Premier League can be considered a decent result.
In the last round of the English Premier League, the "Gunners" failed to beat Crystal Palace at home (2-2), despite leading twice. This result mathematically eliminated Arsenal's title chances, as Liverpool thrashed Tottenham 5-1 in their match.
The Champions League remains the only tournament where Arsenal continues to compete. In the quarter-finals, Mikel Arteta's side created a huge sensation by knocking out Real Madrid – 3-0 at home and 2-1 away. In the round of 16, the "Gunners" left no chance for PSV.
For PSG, the battle in their league is also over. As expected, the Parisians secured another championship title in advance, and are now simply playing out the season.
The lack of tournament motivation has affected PSG's results in Ligue 1. On Friday, Luis Enrique's team suffered their first defeat of the season on the domestic stage – a 1-3 loss to Nice. Prior to that, they drew 1-1 with Nantes.
This season in the Champions League has been extremely ambiguous for PSG. The French champions failed the start of the league stage, and ultimately did not secure a playoff spot until the very last round. However, three victories in the final rounds allowed them to take 15th place. In the round of 16, PSG was lucky to face Brest, which they easily overcame. Next, Luis Enrique's team faced a challenge against Liverpool, where they performed very well and advanced through a penalty shootout. In the quarter-finals, PSG eliminated Aston Villa – 4-2 at home and 2-3 away.
Possible lineups
- Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Rice, Merino; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
- PSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Ruiz, Vitinha, Neves; Barcola, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia
Arsenal vs PSG match prediction
In the second half of the season, PSG has been playing incredibly in attack, and it will be extremely difficult for Arsenal to hold them back. I expect the Parisians to play on the front foot, while the "Gunners" will operate on the counter-attack, at which they excel. I am betting on both teams to score in this match.
