Our choose of the stats and details as Champions League semi-finals start

April 29, 2025

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The Champions League semi-finals are upon us, with simply 4 groups nonetheless standing within the quest for continental supremacy.

England, France, Spain and Italy are represented within the final 4 this time round, by Arsenal, PSG, Barcelona and Inter respectively.

Right here, we preview this week’s first legs with a great take a look at a number of the key details and stats…

Arsenal v PSG (Tuesday, 8pm BST)

Declan Rice celebrates after scoring for Arsenal against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, April 2025.

Declan Rice’s two gorgeous free-kicks helped Arsenal beat Actual Madrid within the quarter-finals (Picture credit score: Alamy)

Having impressively seen off reigning European champions Actual Madrid within the quarter-finals, Arsenal should get previous a formidable PSG facet in the event that they’re to succeed in their first Champions League closing in 19 years – and solely their second ever.

The Gunners beat PSG 2-0 within the league part of this season’s competitors and, regardless of profitable 31 out of 43 video games in all competitions since then, the lately topped French champions have seemed extra fallible than formidable of late.

PSG noticed their probabilities of finishing an unbeaten Ligue 1 marketing campaign disappear with a 3-1 residence defeat to Good final day trip, having blown a 2-0 result in lose 3-2 away to Aston Villa within the second leg of their quarter-final 10 days earlier (they in the end superior 5-4 on combination).

Nevertheless, PSG are nonetheless very a lot in competition to win the Champions League – the prize that has eluded them since their ascent to elite-club standing in Europe. Arsenal, likewise, will know simply how tantalisingly they’re to tasting glory on this competitors for the very first time, having misplaced late on to Barcelona within the closing of 2006 – which happened in Paris, no much less.

This would be the sixth assembly between the 2 golf equipment; the earlier 5 encounters have produced two Arsenal victories and three attracts.

Barcelona v Inter (Wednesday, 8pm BST)

Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring for Barcelona against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League quarter-finals, April 2025.

Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace in Barcelona’s quarter-final win over Borussia Dortmund (Picture credit score: Alamy)

Two golf equipment who’ve been topped champions of Europe eight instances between them – and a mixed 5 instances this century alone – face off on this season’s different semi-final, as Barcelona play Inter for the 13^th time in Champions League historical past.

And it’s LaLiga leaders Barca who’ve bragging rights, having gained six of the earlier 12 video games to Inter’s two. The one earlier knockout conflict, although, noticed Inter triumph 3-2 on combination within the 2009/10 semi-finals, as they went on to do the treble.

The shape guide favours Barcelona, who beat Actual Madrid to win the Copa del Rey on the weekend and have misplaced only one out of 28 matches in all competitions since Christmas, with their sole defeat a 3-1 loss at Borussia Dortmund within the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final – after that they had constructed a commanding 4-0 first-leg lead.

Inter, in contrast, have misplaced three on the spin since finishing a 4-3 combination victory over Bayern Munich within the semis, happening 1-0 to Bologna and Roma in Serie A – and surrendering prime spot within the course of – and being dumped out of the Coppa Italia 3-0 by arch-rivals Milan, albeit with a considerably rotated facet.

Nonetheless, this appears to be like like an intriguing tie on paper: it pits the Champions League’s greatest assault (Barcelona common 3.1 targets per recreation) towards the Champions League’s greatest defence (Inter common 0.4 targets per recreation conceded).

Our choose of the stats and details as Champions League semi-finals start

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