Rich history, interesting tradition and undeniable current football class, as usual, are intertwined among the clubs when the Champions League reaches its culmination stage - the semi-finals, but unlike the other pair Barcelona - Inter, Arsenal and PSG cannot exactly boast of big numbers.
Tonight in London, at the magnificent Emirates Stadium, in the first semi-final match, teams that have never been European champions meet.
Both Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have been to the Champions League final once. And they suffered defeats - the Gunners in 2006 to Barcelona, the Saints in 2020 to Bayern.
Unlike them, Barcelona has five European championship titles, Inter three, which does not mean that the first semi-final will be less interesting, quite the opposite.
Arteta would be like Wenger in 2006.
Both Arsenal and PSG are ready to change history - both their own and that of European football, ahead of a semi-final duel in which, it seems, there is no clear favorite, which is not exactly the case before the clash between Barcelona and Inter.
Paris Saint-Germain's "shares" rose significantly after a powerful performance and the elimination of Liverpool in the round of 16, the team Luis Enrique At the time, they were listed as the second favorite to win the Champions League (after Barca), but things were somewhat balanced by a great two-legged tie that Arsenal played in the quarter-finals against the current European champions Real Madrid and a triumph, no less, of 5:1 on aggregate.
PSG, on the other hand, struggled against Aston Villa in the quarter-final duels, and even the 3:1 advantage from the first leg was almost not enough in the second leg, so the Gunners are entering the semi-final clashes with a bigger door.
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Arsenal have not lost at home in European matches for the past 2 games in a row. Tonight's opponent (0:3, Champions League) and current European champions Real Madrid (0:XNUMX, Champions League quarter-finals) have also suffered losses in that series.
That gives them a slight advantage, at least in the first game, tonight at their home stadium.
"My preference has always been to play the second leg at home, but that's what we have at the moment. So you learn from that, see what the advantages are and where the opportunities are. In European games, the second leg is absolutely crazy. It can take you anywhere. So it's great to learn about these scenarios and why these things happen, because it can be very useful for us," said the Arsenal manager. Mikel Arteta.
"Arsenal have a great chance, not only to eliminate Paris Saint-Germain, but also to win the Champions League," said the former London club striker. Paul Merson, now a Sky Sports analyst.
"Chances like this don't come often. PSG are strong, having already eliminated two English teams, but as strong as they were against Liverpool, they showed weaknesses, especially in the second leg against Aston Villa," added Merson.
PSG targets third Englishman in a row
It has been 19 years since the Gunners played in the Champions League final for the first and, for now, last time, then under Arsene Wenger They eliminated Villarreal. Can Arteta repeat that feat?
Unlike the Spaniard Arteta, his compatriot on the PSG bench Luis Enrique has a second chance - in just two seasons. The Parisians last season, with all Mbappe, were favorites against Borussia Dortmund, but they failed - they were eliminated in the semi-finals. Now they have a new, big chance to reach the final.
"We are preparing for everything - we are preparing for Arsenal's unpleasant interruptions, in the same way we did against Liverpool. And Liverpool is a team that has at least the same potential as Arsenal, if not more. Aston Villa also had great potential, like most teams in the Premier League. We are waiting for an intense duel, in both matches. We will not prepare our team based on any aspect of the game in particular. This is a level where you have to be competitive everywhere, in every part of the pitch," said Enrique.
The two teams have already played this season, in the league stage, Arsenal won 2-0 at the Emirates. Does that mean anything?
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