PSG VS Arsenal Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris
PSG VS Arsenal Date: Wednesday, May 7
BetXchange PSG VS Arsenal Odds:
History
Inter Milan booked their place in the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League final with a win for the ages against Barcelona on Tuesday night. The Italians won the second leg 4-3 at home after extra time, winning 7-6 on aggregate, in an instant classic.
The 210 minutes had more twists and turns than a Hollywood movie, and many analysts called it the best football match of all time in terms of quality and drama.
Now it is up to PSG and Arsenal to follow that drama as they face off to see who will take on Inter in the final in Munich on May 31.
The first leg in London ended 1-0 in favour of the visitors, with a fourth-minute Ousmane Dembele goal providing the only score of a tense affair. Dembele’s strike silenced the crowd at Emirates Stadium quickly, rocking Arsenal, who never found a way to find the rhythm that served them so well in their impressive quarter-final win over Real Madrid.
This leaves the contest ideally poised for the second leg in Paris, with both sides hungry for a shot at their first-ever Champions League trophy.
PSG
The important news for PSG is that Dembele looks fit to face Arsenal again on Wednesday night. There had been serious doubts about his fitness after he left the fixture in London in the 70th minute with an injury to his right hamstring.
News coming out of the PSG camp is that Dembele will be available to play. This is massive for Luis Enrique’s side, with Dembele scoring 33 goals across all competitions this season. Eight goals have come in the Champions League, with the Frenchman having responded in fine style to a benching earlier in the season.
Another key player in this game will be former Wolves midfielder Vitinha. While the PSG attacking players receive most of the attention, the dynamic Portuguese No. 6 is arguably the most essential player in the side. His energy, work rate, and distribution are the motor that keeps the Parisians humming. He will play a significant role tonight.
Arsenal
Defenders Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori are players Mikel Arteta would love to have available for this match. Timber is the bigger doubt after picking up a knock in the first leg, while Calafiori is fit, but lacking match fitness, having not featured since March.
The bigger news is the return of midfield lynchpin Thomas Partey after his first-leg suspension. The Ghana international picked up a needless booking at the end of the quarter-final, and his absence completely changed the way Arsenal played.
Declan Rice was forced into a more defensive role, completely nullifying the attacking drive that has become his hallmark this season. With Partey back in the six, Rice can play as a box-to-box eight. This single change to the lineup is why many still have Arsenal as a slight favorite to go through, even with a first-leg deficit to overcome.
Best Bets
I like Arsenal in this one. A bet builder with Arsenal to win, both teams to score, and Gabriel Martinelli to have more than 1.5 shots pays out at 31/4. I see goals, and I see Arsenal getting through this, perhaps after extra time.
