Arsenal v PSG Champions League Tips: Odds-against Gunners can reach final | OneFootball

UEFA Champions League

Mikel Arteta's side can reach the final

Arsenal stunned Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and can beat PSG over two legs in the semi-finals says Dave Tindall ahead of the first encounter at the Emirates on Tuesday night...

Arsenal v PSGTuesday 29 April, 20:00Live on Amazon Prime

The View From Arsenal

We didn't quite know how much to read into Arsenal's strong performance in the 36-team group stage of this year's Champions League. They finished third with six wins and a draw from eight matches.

Finishing top didn't do Liverpool much good in the end but the teams in second (Barcelona), third (Arsenal) and fourth (Inter) comprise three of the four semi-finalists. In short, it seems a pretty good guide.

At the time, there was definitely a perception that Arsenal's strong group tally was all well and good but that they'd be found out in the knockout phase - especially when the draw paired them with kings of the Champions League, Real Madrid, in the quarter-finals.

Instead, the Gunners preyed on Real's weaknesses, hit new levels and powered through 5-1 on aggregate. It was hard to believe and yet fully deserved.

Declan Rice was player-of-the-match in both ties, his pair of stunning free-kicks in the 3-1 first leg win at the Emirates giving Arsenal the belief that something special was happening.

As their Premier League challenge petered away with a series of draws, the Champions League has become Arsenal's full focus. This could still be an absolute golden season in the Gunners' history as they look to win the competition for the first time.

They'll miss the suspended Thomas Partey for the first leg.

PSG seek Premier League treble

PSG have been the scourge of English teams in this year's Champions League knockout stages.

In the last 16, they knocked out Liverpool on penalties after somehow losing the first leg at home but recovering with a win at Anfield to send the tie to spot-kicks.

And after beating Aston Villa 3-1 in Paris and taking a 2-0 lead at Villa Park they held off a storming fightback by the hosts to go through 5-4.

This pair met in the 2016/17 Champions League with both legs ending in a draw: 2-2 at the Emirates and 1-1 in Paris.

But of far more relevance is Arsenal's 2-0 win over PSG in October, a league phase victory secured by first-half goals from Kai Havertz (still out injured) and Bukayo Saka.

The conundrum is that the pre-Chrismtas PSG were not at the levels of the current one. Let's remember, they only played Liverpool so early after stuttering in the league phase, losing three matches and finishing 14th.

Gunners the call

With home advantage, the market sees Mikel Arteta's men as by far the most likely winners on Tuesday night although they're still odds-against.

Arsenal are 23/20 on the Sportsbook, with PSG 12/5 and The Draw also 12/5.

Both teams have slightly taken their eye off the league in recent weeks, Arsenal due to Liverpool showing no let up in their title-winning momentum and PSG for being way clear in Ligue 1 (they lead by 23 points).

So I won't read too much into PSG's latest two domestic results: a 1-1 draw at Nantes and a 3-1 home loss to Nice which left the visitors just a point off second place.

That game also ended PSG's hopes of going through Ligue 1 unbeaten and, in truth, they had enough chances to win it. As in their 1-0 home loss to Liverpool, sometimes the French champions play some absolutely great stuff but it doesn't translate into a positive result.

That's why this market is tricky. If PSG take their chances, Arsenal could be in big trouble. If they don't, there is a pathway for the Gunners to make the final.

And with Arsenal odds-against at 21/20 to Qualify, that's the first bet. Beating Real Madrid so convincingly will have done wonders for their confidence, as would watching Villa really put PSG under the gun at Villa Park.

Arsenal's defence is far more robust than Villa's and with Saka getting sharper by the week, Arteta's men have the firepower to reach the final.

Rice can make a mark again

Declan Rice's free-kick double in the first leg against Real Madrid still seems a bit surreal but his performance in the second leg showed that he's gone to a new level in this competition.

PSG have perhaps had a little trouble coping with players running from midfield and I like the 6/4 about Rice having 1+ Shots on Target. That's going to be the first leg of a Bet Builder.

The second part is Ousmane Dembele to also have 1+ Shots on Target. The frontman has been brilliant this season but the goals have dried up for the time being after six blank games.

But he'll keep knocking at the door and should get chances.

The double on both testing the goalkeeper is around 12/5. The more ambitious could back both in a goalscorer double at 20/1.

Recommended bets

1pt - Back Arsenal To Qualify @ 21/20

1pt - Back Declan Rice and Ousmane Dembele both to have 1+ Shots on Target @ 12/5

Staked: 74.5pts

Returned: 58.17pts

P/L: -16.33pts

Previous:2023/2024 P/L: -£20.792022/2023 P/L: +£16.792021/2022 P/L: +£8.692020/2021 P/L: +£3.06

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