ARSENAL travel to PSG for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final TONIGHT.
The Gunners arrive in Paris 1-0 down on aggregate after Ousmane Dembele’s stunning early strike at the Emirates last week was enough to earn the Parisians a narrow lead.
Arsenal will be hoping to avoid more European heartbreak in the French capital, 19 years on from their 2006 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona at the Stade de France.
The winner of tonight’s blockbuster tie will meet Italian giants Inter Milan in the huge Munich final on May 31.
- Kick off time: 8pm BST
- TV channel: TNT Sports 1
- Live stream: discovery+
- PSG team: To follow…
- Arsenal team: To follow…
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Another omen for the Gunners
In the last four seasons, either Real Madrid have won the Champions League, or the team who knocked them out have won it.
In 2021, Chelsea knocked Madrid out, and went on to win against Man City in the final.
In 2022, Real Madrid beat Liverpool to win the Champions League.
In 2023, Manchester City knocked out Madrid on their way to winning the competition, again in the semi-final.
In 2024, Real Madrid won the Champions League.
In 2025, Arsenal knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League…
Credit: Mutsu Kawamori/AFLO/Alamy Live News Must be a sign…
Arsenal are looking to reach the Champions League final for only the second time in their history this evening.
Their previous final was a defeat to Barcelona in 2006.
Fans have been pointing out some good omens, that may help the Gunners tonight…
Bend it like Rice
Declan Rice was the star of the show when Arsenal knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League quarter-final.
His two stunning free-kicks put Arsenal in a position where they were essentially already through when they faced the second leg in Madrid.
Alas, that did not stop him winning the man of the match award in Madrid, helping Arsenal see off Los Blancos 5-1 on aggregate.
Rice has called upon what the Gunners must do ahead of the semi-final second leg.
In the middle
Controversial referee Felix Zwayer will officiate the clash between PSG and Arsenal tonight.
Zawyer has a history of controversy, having previously faced a six-month ban for match fixing.
The referee has also previously been blasted by Jude Bellingham, and took charge of England’s Euro semi-final against Netherlands last summer.
The main men
The big battle in attack tonight will be between Bukayo Saka and Ousmane Dembele in Paris tonight.
Dembele has scored 29 times and provided nine assists across the Champions League and Ligue 1 this season.
Saka had struggled with an injury earlier in the season, but has 11 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League and Champions League this season.
The pair are their sides main threats, and their gaffers will need them to step up in a big way tonight.
What happened last week?
The Gunners have work to do as they head to Paris tonight, but are no strangers to a big European away day this season.
Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring early doors, but PSG did a good enough job at limiting Arsenal throughout the rest of the match.
A couple of Martinelli chances and a Mikel Merino offside goal were all Arteta’s side could muster, they would have hoped for more with home advantage behind them.
The game was quite even on the face of it, with PSG playing 375 passes compared to 326 for Arsenal, but Les Parisiens did well to slow momentum and tire the home crowd.
19 clearances for PSG tells the story, they frustrated Arsenal in the final third.
Credit: Getty Dembele injury decision
PSG coach Luis Enrique says Ousmane Dembele WILL be fit to face Arsenal in the Champions League second leg tonight.
First-leg goalscorer Dembele was an injury scare after being taken off with a hamstring issue last week.
Enrique said yesterday: “He’s been training with the group for two days. I have him at my disposal tomorrow.”
Credit: Alamy Piers Morgan en route
Piers Morgan wore a “Make Arsenal Great Again” hat as he headed to Paris on the Eurostar.
The 60-year-old is in the French capital for the Gunners’ Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
Mikel Arteta’s side head to France with an uphill task, having lost last week’s first leg 1-0 in London.
Irrespective of their deficit, Arsenal fans including Morgan have arrived in Paris dreaming of a place in the Champions League final in Munich on May 31.
Credit: X/ piersmorgan Arsenal omens part 4
Every year the Pope has died, an English team has won the Champions League
Say it quietly, but Pope Francis’ tragic passing this year could be another sign that Arsenal could win it.
When Pope John Paul died in 1978, Nottingham Forest won Europe’s top prize.
When Pope John Paul II passed in 2005, Liverpool remarkably won the trophy from the jaws of defeat against AC Milan, and when Pope Benedict XVI died in on New Year’s Eve 2022, Manchester City went on to win a maiden European title in May.
Could this be a sign for Arsenal?
Arsenal omens part 3
PSG have lost all their Champions League semi-final home legs
The French side might have home advantage, but that might not be a good thing considering their history in the last four at the Parc des Princes.
They were beaten 1-0 by Borussia Dortmund in last year’s semi in Paris, and 2-1 by Manchester City in 2020/21.
They were defeated by AC Milan in their first semi-final appearance in 1995.
It must also be remembered that the Ligue 1 champions have never lifted the Champions League trophy, either.
This is new territory for them, too.
Credit: AFP Arsenal omens part 2
Strong on their travels
Arteta’s side are unbeaten in all of their last four away games on the continent.
Last time out, the Gunners beat Real Madrid 2-1 in a rousing comeback at the Bernabeu, and before that, they thrashed PSV 7-1 in the last 16.
In the league phase, they edged past Girona and smashed Sporting Lisbon.
They have never won five on the spin on the road in Europe, but Arteta will argue that that creates yet another chance for his players to make history.
Credit: Getty Four omens for Arsenal
Don’t be down in the dumps after that second leg, Arsenal fans.
Here are four omens which mean the Gunners will be marching into the Munich final.
New winner every time in Munich
Every time the final has been hosted in the Bavarian capital, there is always a fresh winner of Europe’s elite competition.
Germany’s third largest city has played host to the final four times.
The first was at the Olympiastadion, where Nottingham Forest famously defeated Malmo in 1979, and the second was in 1993, when Marseille overcame AC Milan.Roberto di Matteo’s Blues won a dramatic shootout, with Didier Drogba the hero that night.
Hence, the omens also suggest that when European Cup finals are held in Munich, and English sides are involved, they win.
Credit: Getty Arsenal fans warned
Arsenal have given out 2,000 scarves to their travelling supporters in Paris – despite a warning fans to be “vigilant” in the French capital amid concerns over PSG hooligans.
The Gunners fans received a free red and white scarf, featuring an Arsenal club badge, when they picked up their tickets at the collection point.
Credit: PA Welcome to PSG vs Arsenal
Hello and welcome to SunSport’s coverage of PSG vs Arsenal in a mammoth Champions League tie in Paris.
The Gunners have it all to do in the French capital after trailing 1-0 from the first leg.
Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal of the game inside the first four minutes as the visitors stunned Arsenal at The Emirates.
The winner of tonight’s tie will face Inter Milan in the final in Munich on Saturday, May 31.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are aiming for history to win football’s biggest prize for the first time.
While PSG will also be aiming for the feat for the first time in their history.
All that’s left is the build-up ahead of tonight’s HUGE clash, and we’ll be bringing you all of the updates right here on SunSport.
Credit: PA
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
