The UEFA Champions League has reached its last stretch this season and if the quarter-finals were anything to go by, the semi-finals promise a lot more fireworks. The Last Eight gave what the fans deserved, that is four high-octane ties, and now the penultimate stage can be even more explosive.
The quarter-finals kick-started with Arsenal thumping Real Madrid at the Emirates courtesy of two sensational freekicks from Declan Rice and a Mikel Merino strike. The fact that the online discourse was against the Gunners even making a dent in Real Madrid’s Champions League ambitions added to the gloss of that victory.
The Gunners went on to stake their claim as one of Europe’s most formidable sides with a stellar victory in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. Arsenal will now meet PSG, who are seen as one of the most exciting teams from an attacking sense left in this competition.
PSG put in a stellar performance in their home leg of the quarter-finals against Aston Villa. However, Unai Emery’s side put them to the sword in the reverse leg as they did take the game close to extra time, although Luis Enrique’s men held their own and saw their slender lead through within regulation time.
The other two semi-finalists are Barcelona and Inter Milan, who are here courtesy of their two-legged win over Bayern Munich. In truth, there was plenty of excitement in that clash, although their fixture clashed with that of Arsenal vs Real Madrid, which sort of put them on the back burner.
Inter Milan took a slender lead from their first leg in Munich and continued their good form against Bayern Munich. The second leg was closer than the first, as it was a late defensive performance from the Nerazzurri that saw them make it through to the Champions League semi-finals.
They now meet Barcelona, who were supreme in the first leg but struggled for relevance in the reverse leg against Borussia Dortmund. The Germans did threaten to reverse an unassailable 4-0 lead as Serhou Guirassy’s hattrick did make the Catalans tremble for long periods, but they too entered the semifinal after keeping composure to maintain their slender lead.
Overall, the semi-finals promise fireworks, as Arsenal kick-start proceedings at home against PSG, while Barcelona host Inter Milan soon after. Here we break down which of these teams will make it to the Munich final at the end of their respective two-legged ties.
The Arsenal vsPSG clash is being tipped as a tactical battle of wits between two managers who have consistently evolved with their ideas in this competition. The fact that many are stating this PSG side are very different from the one that lost at the Emirates in the league phase in itself is proof that there’s renewed belief in the Parisians.
When saying they are different, it does automatically point towards those missing from action back in October as well as the January additions. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia joined the team and Ousmane Dembele was missing due to a feud with Enrique. However, the ‘different’ part also pertains to how they play now, as that PSG side were still in a period where the manager was experimenting with them.
Since then, they have had a bit of a wobble in the Champions League and only finished within the top 24 courtesy of a resurgence in their form. Meanwhile, we can also say this Arsenal team are different in both those aspects coming into this semi-final.
Back then, it was the beginning of the injury issues for Mikel Arteta that has consistently mired the team during the season. Around then, Martin Odegaard was missing, while teenage duo Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly were only making up the numbers on the bench, although the latter did come on as a substitute.
Arteta even played a 4-4-2 to contain PSG’s attacking threat, while Havertz was a big presence in their side. Fast forward to April, and Arsenal are missing a host of their key players through injury, with Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Jesus all ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Arteta has developed Mikel Merino into a striker, which has surprisingly produced remarkable results. Either way, this tie does promise tactical fireworks, as Arteta and Enrique will pit their wits over two legs. The idea is there for this game to have a balanced feel to it, but the Gunners could once again look to take full advantage of their home leg then manage the tie on their visit to Paris.
Even though PSG are better with Ousmane Dembele involved, the forward is currently one of the most in-form attackers in Europe. Yet, Arsenal are capable of taking control in this UEFA Champions League tie as the North Londoners are expected to go through into the Munich final.
The Barcelona vs Inter Milan fixture does give a feel of two heavyweights clashing in the Champions League, and there is a different feeling around this tie. These are two clubs who have on one or two occasions come close to clinching another Champions League but have not managed to get it over the line.
The interesting thing about this upcoming first leg at Barcelona is the kind of mood either team are in. Starting with the Blaugrana, much like the other three semifinalists, they have not been in the best of form in their league, as they narrowly crossed the line against RCD Mallorca.
However, they did win a hard-fought Copa del Rey Final against arch-rivals Real Madrid, which does keep them in a positive mood. However, they were put to a grueling test in the domestic showdown for 120 minutes, with Hansi Flick playing all of his key stars while missing key striker Robert Lewandowski.
Hence there will be question marks about fatigue and the fitness levels of many Barcelona players ahead of this first leg. The case with Inter Milan is rather different, as they have endured a torrid time leading up to this clash in the Champions League. Simone Inzaghi’s side have suffered three consecutive defeats in all competitions, with AC Milan ousting them from the Coppa Italia, while Napoli have climbed ahead in the title race.
Tactically, these are two managers who are polar opposites, as one would like to attack, while the other is more than comfortable defending. Inter Milan will likely come with the approach of a ‘smash and grab’ as they would like to contain the situation more than get ahead of their opponents.
Barcelona may not even know how to sit back and manage a game, as Flick will want his attackers to go all out in their pursuit of getting a lead. This tie either promises plenty of goals or a cagey affair altogether, although Inter Milan are expected to go through into the final over two legs, as they will have the defensive nous and the experience to get past this otherwise exciting Barcelona side.
