Champions League semifinal: Final four and how they battled through

London: Four teams remain in the Champions League, each in pursuit of a rare European title. Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in a semi-final between teams that have never lifted the iconic trophy. Barcelona and Inter Milan have a combined total of eight European titles, though their most recent triumphs came 10 and 15 years ago, respectively.

Here’s what to know about the upcoming matches and the four semi-finalists:

When are the semi-finals?

Arsenal host Paris Saint-Germain on 29 April in north London, where defending champions Madrid were stunned 3-0 last week in the first leg of the quarter-finals. PSG host the return leg on 7 May at the Parc des Princes, which has hosted three finals, including the inaugural European Cup in 1956. Five-time champions Barcelona host the first leg on 30 April at the 1992 Olympics stadium. Inter host the second leg on 6 May at San Siro.

The winners will head to Munich on 31 May for the final of the most coveted and toughest title to win in club football.

Arsenal
Coach Mikel Arteta’s team have been solid all season, including against PSG and Inter in the first half of the eight-game league programme. Arsenal finished third in the new phase with six wins — including a 2-0 victory over PSG in London — and one draw. Their only defeat came at Inter, 1-0.

They comfortably overcame PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16 following a 7-1 rout in the first leg. Arsenal then surprised many with a 3-0 home win over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and finished the job on Wednesday with a controlled 2-1 win in Madrid.

Arsenal sit second in the Premier League but are far behind leaders Liverpool, so the Champions League remains their only realistic shot at silverware this season.

Paris Saint-Germain

PSG were at risk of being eliminated in the league phase, but their campaign turned in the penultimate round when they came back from a 2-0 deficit to hand Manchester City a devastating 4-2 loss.

Crucially, new signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli was added for the knockout rounds. Brest were demolished 10-0 in the play-offs, and the Georgian winger was scintillating in the round of 16 against Liverpool. PSG and Liverpool traded 1-0 wins away, and a penalty shoot-out at Anfield was decided by two saves from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

PSG’s third visit to England this season resulted in a 3-2 loss at Aston Villa. Donnarumma’s saves prevented a fourth goal that would have forced extra time. PSG advanced thanks to a 3-1 home win the week before.

PSG have already secured the Ligue 1 title. They now hope to achieve what eluded them even with French star Kylian Mbappé in the side: winning the Champions League.

Barcelona

Barcelona won four of their five European titles in a nine-year spell from 2006 to 2015, mostly inspired by Lionel Messi, and have not returned to the final since. The team scored 28 goals in the league phase and added nine more in four knockout matches. Robert Lewandowski, still prolific at age 36, has 11 goals and trails teammate Raphinha, who has 12. Lamine Yamal, outrageously good at just 17, has four goals and three assists.

Barcelona began with a blip in their first Champions League match under coach Hansi Flick, losing 2-1 at Monaco, then went unbeaten through the rest of the league phase: 4-1 against Bayern — whom Flick led to the 2020 title — 3-2 at Borussia Dortmund, and a wild 5-4 at Benfica.

In the knockout rounds, Barcelona beat Benfica twice more, then met Dortmund again in the quarter-finals. A 4-0 home win allowed the luxury of losing the return leg 3-1. Barcelona, like Inter, must juggle preparations for the semi-finals with staying ahead in a tight domestic title race and chasing the domestic cup.

Inter Milan

The hardest defence to breach, with just one goal conceded in the league phase by the three-time European champions. The tone was set in the opening match, a rematch of the 2023 final. A 0-0 draw at Manchester City was impressive in September before the English champions’ aura crumbled.

A series of 1-0 wins was interrupted by a 1-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen, courtesy of a 90th-minute goal by Nordi Mukiele. It was the only goal conceded by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer until Feyenoord scored from the penalty spot in the second leg of the round of 16.

Inter impressed with a 2-1 win at Bayern last week in the first leg of the quarter-finals, then responded quickly when Harry Kane levelled early in the second half at San Siro. The lead was restored by Lautaro Martínez, Inter’s talisman, who has eight Champions League goals.

Inter defeated Barcelona in the semi-finals the last time they won the Champions League in 2010.  | AP