By the end of Wednesday, we’ll know which two teams will meet in the 2025 Champions League final.
Inter, Barcelona, PSG and Arsenal will all fancy their chances of being in Munich on 31 May, and there was little to nothing to separate the sides in the first legs of the semi-finals. PSG take a narrow first-leg lead over Arsenal back to Paris, while Inter and Barca could not be separated.
It promises to be a typically enthralling week of Champions League action; here’s our stat- and fact-packed preview to get you in the mood!
Inter (3) v (3) Barcelona (Tuesday, 8pm BST)
A thrilling first leg has left Inter and Barcelona’s semi-final tantalisingly poised ahead of the second leg at the San Siro.
The Serie A side surrendered 2-0 and 3-2 leads in Catalonia last Wednesday, as the meeting of the 2024/25 Champions League’s best attack (Barca) and best defence (Inter) duly delivered.
Inter are hopeful of having captain and top scorer Lautaro Martinez fit after an injury scare, and Simone Inzaghi’s men can also take encouragement from the fact that only two sides other than arch-rivals Milan – who, of course, share the San Siro – have beaten them at home since the start of last season: Sassuolo in September 2023 and Roma last month.
In fact, the Nerazzurri haven’t lost at home in Europe since a 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the opening group match of their 2022/23 Champions League runners-up campaign.
Barca, meanwhile, are aiming to reach their first Champions League final under Xavi – who lifted the trophy four times with the club as a player – and their first under any manager since 2015, when they did the treble under another club legend: Luis Enrique – whose PSG they could meet in this year’s final.
The LaLiga leaders come into this clash with two players well in contention to finish as 2024/25 Champions League top scorer. A goal for Raphinha would see him draw level with Serhou Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund – who Barca beat in the quarter-finals – on 13, while Robert Lewandowski is just one further back.
PSG (1) v (0) Arsenal (Wednesday, 8pm BST)
If Arsenal are to reach their first Champions League final since 2006 – and only their second ever – they’ll have to do something they’ve never previously done in Europe: overturn a first-leg home defeat to win on aggregate.
It’s a tall order for Mikel Arteta’s side, who have just suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time in six months, last Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to PSG followed by a 2-1 home Premier League reversal to Bournemouth on Saturday – in a game which they led at half-time.
The Gunners might well – quite understandably – have been preoccupied by this potentially season-defining trip to the Parc des Princes, but there can be little room for error in Paris.
PSG have conceded in each of their three home games against English opposition in the 2024/25 Champions League, but only Liverpool have come away with a win. That said, a repeat of the 0-1 scoreline would see Arsenal force extra time, at least.
Forebodingly for the visitors, though, this encounter ought to see an extra-fresh PSG starting 11 take to the pitch, after Luis Enrique made wholesale changes for Saturday’s trip to Strasbourg.
That game resulted in a 2-1 defeat for Les Parisiens, but with the Ligue 1 title wrapped up a month ago and an unbeaten campaign no longer possible, there was only ever going to be one real focus.
Like Arsenal, PSG have never got their hands on the Champions League trophy, but they have looked like the team to beat for much of the 2024/25 edition of the competition, knocking out Liverpool then Aston Villa to make it to this stage.
They’ve lost each of their last two Champions League semi-final ties, in 2024 and 2021, but they trailed going into the second leg of both of those…