Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal

Parc des Princes forms the backdrop for the second leg of Paris Saint-Germain’s finely poised Champions League semi-final tie against Arsenal. 

Paris Saint-Germain took a massive step toward entering the Champions League final for the first time since finishing second-best to Bayern Munich in 2019/20 by winning the first leg 1-0. With a record-extending 13th Ligue 1 title already in the bag and a winnable-looking Coupe de France final against Reims waiting in the wings, Les Parisiens could win a historic treble this term. Lifting an elusive first Champions League title is the essential part of that intricate equation as they warm up for a sixth consecutive encounter against Premier League opposition (W3, L2). Luis Enrique’s high-flyers have won three of their last four home Champions League home fixtures (L1), suggesting they’re in pole position to uphold an incredible record of progressing from 18 of the past 19 UEFA competition ties when winning the first leg away from home. 

In the meantime, Arsenal’s hopes of contesting a Champions League final for the first time since 2006 rest on their ability to recover from a dismal 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth at the weekend. Mikel Arteta’s side slumped to only their second Champions League defeat all season in the first leg (W9, D2), renouncing an impressive 12-game unbeaten streak in all competitions (W6, D6). The Gunners must defy history to get back on track as they’ve suffered elimination in all five previous European two-legged knockout ties when losing the first leg on home turf. Furthermore, they’ve never previously won in Paris (D2) but can take confidence from an ongoing four-game winning Champions League streak on foreign soil.