Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain preview as the Champions League semi-finals kick-off for the 2024/25 campaign. Arsenal advanced to the semis after a truly comprehensive victory against Real Madrid, where they won 3-0 at home, including two incredible Declan Rice free-kicks. They then travelled to the Bernabeu and also picked up a victory after a late Gabriel Martinelli goal sealed the tie 5-1 on aggregate, giving them a win in both legs.
Arsenal’s league form has suffered a little as they have prepared for the Champions League, having drawn three of the last four matches, which has helped Liverpool win the title with four games to spare. With Crystal Palace taking part in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday, their fixture was moved to the midweek of the previous week, giving them six days before this game is played. Arsenal took the lead twice but fell foul to quality goals from Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
PSG have had a run of English teams in the knockouts this year. After coming past Brest in the playoff round, they met with the winners of the group phase, Liverpool. The Parisians peppered Liverpool in Paris, but Alisson kept them at bay, and Liverpool scored late through Harvey Elliott. PSG then managed to come to Anfield and pick up a win to win the tie on penalties.
They met Villa in the quarters and won 5-4 on aggregate. They had a great 3-1 victory in Paris thanks to a late Nuno Mendes goal, which was enough to withstand the pressure in Villa Park. While PSG were playing this weekend, they had the league title sewn up. They did, however, lose 3-1 to Nice on Saturday with what felt like a full-strength team.
Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain: Head-to-Head Record
Arsenal 2-0 PSG
Arsenal 2-2 PSG
PSG 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-0 PSG
PSG 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal and PSG have met five times previously, and PSG have never won against the Gunners. Arsenal are the opposition that PSG have faced most in European competition and have not beaten. Arsenal have won two of the meetings and drawn on three occasions. The last meeting and the first two meetings between the sides will be of most interest for Arsenal fans.
The two teams met in the group phase of this year’s Champions League, and Arsenal came out as 2-0 winners, although it is fair to say that PSG have improved since then and at least three of Arsenal’s starting 11 from that game in October will be out through injury including their opening goalscorer, Kai Havertz.
The first time the two clubs ever met was in a European semi-final. A European semi-final that Arsenal won over two legs and then went on to win the final. It was in the 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup, so we can’t put too much emphasis on it as a matter of form against the opposition, but those who enjoy a little bit of narrative will be pleased with that.
Luis Enrique has, however, played against Arsenal before, when he faced them with Barcelona in the 2016 Champions League Round of 16. Barcelona won both legs by a two-goal margin.
This tie is the third time that two Spanish managers have faced each other in a Champions League semi-final and the first time that neither manager has been in charge of a Spanish club.
Team Statistics
- PSG have lost five of their last six away meetings with English opposition, including their quarter-final against Aston Villa. Their only win came at Anfield this year in the Round of 16.
- Arsenal are undefeated in their last eight Champions League games with seven wins and a draw, they have only had a better record when they reached the final in 2006.
- Arsenal have been ahead for 53% of the total time throughout this Champions League campaign, the most of any side and have been behind for only 6% of gametime; only Inter have a better figure.
- PSG have completed 190 dribbles so far in the Champions League this season. This is the most in a single campaign since Barcelona in 2014-15, when they managed 238. Luis Enrique also managed this Barcelona side.
Player Statistics
- Saka has scored nine and created six assists in his 16 Champions League games for Arsenal. This is the most that any English player has managed in their first two years and the most of any winger since Sadio Mane in his first two seasons at Liverpool in the Champions League.
- João Neves, with 715, has the most high-intensity pressures applied so far in the Champions League, while PSG also have the best pressing numbers as a team, with 87% of their pressures being at a high intensity.
- Ousmane Dembele has scored seven goals and assisted three so far this season in the Champions League. One more goal involvement would bring him level with Kylian Mbappe for the most in a single Champions League campaign for PSG.