Arsenal target PSG scalp in champions league semis
Former league-phase foes renew hostilities in the final four, as Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain engage in a blockbuster battle in today’s Champions League semi-final first leg at the Emirates, both dreaming of finally ending their excruciating waits for European stardom.
Mikel Arteta’s men outwitted, outfought and out-classed Real Madrid in the quarter-finals to earn a two-legged tussle with the French champions, who ended Aston Villa’s dreams of continental glory in the last eight.
As glass-half-full Real Madrid supporters allowed themselves to get preoccupied with thoughts of a remarkable remontada, Arteta’s Arsenal had one goal in mind; play Carlo Ancelotti’s men off the park on their own patch and end Los Blancos’ latest reign of European dominance.
The Gunners did exactly that and then some in the Spanish capital, following up a tremendous 3-0 home win in the first leg of their quarter-final with an arguably more impressive 2-1 success at the Bernabeu, sealing a scarcely believable 5-1 aggregate win over the most successful team in the history of the competition. And they deserved it.
With no recognised striker and no Gabriel Magalhaes attacking set-pieces, Arsenal wore a large underdogs sticker for their battle with Los Blancos, but the Gunners defied their absences to make the Champions League semis for just the third time ever, and the first time since 2009.
Having lost to Manchester United that year, three seasons after final heartbreak at the hands of Barcelona, the North London giants hold a 50% success rate from previous UCL semi-finals, but there is no doubting the Gunners’ credentials as genuine contenders for a long-awaited crown.
Indeed, Arteta has overseen a magnificent eight-game unbeaten run in the 2024-25 Champions League the hosts’ longest such streak since a 12-game sequence in 2005-06 while they coincidentally enter today’s game unbeaten in 12 in all competitions, winning six and drawing six.
However, Arsenal’s frequent inability to cling onto leads came back to bite them yet again in Wednesday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Crystal Palace one that put Liverpool a single point away from title glory and nine stalemates while leading in the 2024- 25 English top flight is more than any other side.
Such frailties must be exposed by PSG lest Luis Enrique’s men risk the same fate as soon-to-be-dethroned champions Real Madrid, but Les Parisiens do not cower when the British are coming, having taken down two of Arsenal’s Premier League rivals in quick succession.
However, Les Parisiens’ attack was stunted in a 2-0 league-phase loss to Arsenal at the Emirates back on October 1, a result that extended Arsenal’s run without defeat against PSG to five matches since their inaugural meeting.
In fact, PSG have never faced another team on more occasions in European competition without ever winning than Arsenal, who must repeat their Real Madrid trick in front of a fervent Emirates if they are to stand a chance of butting heads with Barcelona or Inter Milan on May 31.—SportsMole
