The semifinals of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League are this week, with a dozen sides from six different countries still in contention to lift a continental trophy. Two matches stand between a place in a final, or heartbreak. All but one of the matches also impact the remaining UEFA coefficient battles that are still left.
Ahead of the semifinals, The Deck previews all six matchups, and predicts who will be moving on from this round.
UEFA Champions League: Semifinal Preview
Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich
For the second time this season, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich end up facing off in the UCL. This time, it is for all the marbles.
Les Parisiens have come alive since that matchday 4 reverse at home. They will host the first leg, looking to exact revenge from last autumn. Knockout round football has been very kind to PSG of late, as they are unbeaten across their last nine games (8-1-0) since losing the away leg of their UCL quarterfinal last term. They are looking to become the first side since Real Madrid in 2017/18 to successfully defend the Champions League, and would become the second team under the competition’s current guise to do so. Interestingly, none of the previous 15 games between PSG and Bayern have ever ended level, with the German side leading 9-0-6.
Bayern has enjoyed another excellent season in the UCL, even better than last term. Die Bayern finished second in the league phase with seven wins from eight, and have since come out on top in all four knockout round clashes against Atalanta and Real Madrid. In all four previous seasons in which they posted double digits in wins – they are on 11 for this campaign – they reached the final. Since winning their last title in 2019/20, this is the second time Bayern has gotten back to the semifinals, the other occasion coming two years ago when Real Madrid knocked them out. Considering UCL only, the Bundesliga outfit has won the last five games.
Prediction: Bayern Munich
Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal
Another repeat meeting from the league phase, Atlético Madrid will be striving for better luck as they take on Arsenal.
Overall, the head-to-head between the two sides reads one win apiece, plus a draw. Atleti came out on top in their other two-legged tie with their North London opponent. That came in the 2017/18 Europa League at this stage, where Los Colchoneros prevailed 2-1 on aggregate before beating Marseille in the final. That remains their most recent continental trophy, though they have never won the UCL before. The defeat at the Emirates during the league phase was the only time Atleti did not score in a UCL match this season, having found the back of the net 34 times. Diego Simeone’s side has just one win in their last six versus English opposition (1-1-4), coming in the last 16 against Tottenham in March.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are the only team left in the UCL this term to have not lost a single game in the tournament so far, winning 10 of 12 matches. They also have eight clean sheets, including in each of their last three outings. Of the four semifinalists, Arsenal has the fewest appearances in the Champions League final, with their only other showing being two decades ago. With that said, they did knock out a Spanish side in the semis (Villarreal), which could give them inspiration. The Premier League pacesetters are also on a seven-match winning streak versus LaLiga sides, something that could work to their advantage in this tie.
Prediction: Atlético Madrid