Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain Preview

After seeing Liverpool secure the Premier League title at the weekend, Arsenal will look to ensure their season doesn’t end in more disappointment when they welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Emirates in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. Both sides have never won this title, but they come into this tie with the chance of reaching their second final in history.

The Gunners’ last and only final in this tournament came in 2006. Since then, they have had some miserable outings in this competition. But things are looking up for them this year, and despite their disappointment in the domestic league, they come into this round on the back of a massive 5-1 aggregate win over Real Madrid.

Ending the nearly 20-year wait for a Champions League final appearance seems a realistic possibility for a Gunners side that is unbeaten in five prior H2Hs against PSG (W2, D3). One of those wins came last October when Arsenal won 2-0 in the league phase. That result forms part of an 11-match unbeaten run in Champions League home action (W9, D2).

With little to play for in the domestic league, the Champions League is almost guaranteed for next season, Arsenal’s main focus lately has been on this tie.

Meanwhile, PSG booked their place in this round by beating two Premier League sides over two legs. The Parisians first won against Liverpool on penalties in the round of 16 before narrowly beating Aston Villa in the last round.

Having already secured the Ligue 1 title, PSG will be eager to win this trophy which has often eluded them. Their preparation for this tie wasn’t the best, though, as the visitors suffered a 3-1 loss to Nice at the weekend, denying them the opportunity to complete a first-ever unbeaten French top-flight campaign.

But supporters won’t mind if they can win this tournament ahead of going unbeaten in the league all season. However, five defeats from their last six away matches against English teams in the Champions League (W1) hardly inspires hope that they can take another positive step towards history here, although they knocked out Liverpool and Aston Villa.