French football expert Frank Leboeuf exclusively told Sports Mole that the winner of the Champions League semi-final tie between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain will be favourites to win the competition.
The Gunners will host PSG at the Emirates in the first leg of their tie on Tuesday before playing the Parisians at the Parc des Princes on May 7.
Barcelona or Inter Milan await the winner of the tie in the final, but it should be noted that neither Arsenal or PSG have ever won the Champions League.
However, former Premier League footballer and French football expert Leboeuf believes that whichever team advances to the final should be considered favourites to win the competition, telling Sports Mole: “It’s going to be a hell of a tie, and I’m looking forward to watching it, because those teams are favourites to win the Champions League.
“Whoever goes through is going to be the favourite for the final, even against Barcelona or Inter Milan. But we will see two crazy games.”
Arsenal managed to beat PSG in the league phase of the tournament, emerging as 2-0 victors against the French team in October 2024, and boss Mikel Arteta will be confident that his players can win once again.
Will PSG be more difficult than Real Madrid?
Arteta’s side comfortably saw past Real Madrid after beating the Spanish giants 5-1 on aggregate in their two quarter-final clashes earlier in April.
The Gunners used midfielder Mikel Merino up front in both legs of the tie, and despite the fact talisman Bukayo Saka‘s start in the first leg was his first in any competition since late December, Arsenal comprehensively outplayed Los Blancos.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Leboeuf insisted that PSG would prove to be significantly more challenging opponents for the Londoners due to their work off the ball, saying: “I think [Arsenal are] going to face a team. That’s the problem with Real Madrid – they have the problem that Paris Saint-Germain had before.
“When you have one star who doesn’t run, it’s OK. But when you have two stars who don’t run defensively and are separated from the others, it’s complicated. I thought Ancelotti would sort the problem out, but he wasn’t able to, and that’s the thing with Paris Saint-Germain – they have a team.”
PSG faced Premier League champions Liverpool in the round of 16 and Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, and the Parisians were more than a match for their opponents from a physical perspective.
How will the tie shape up?
Arsenal head into the first leg without Thomas Partey due to suspension, and with fitness concerns about Jorginho, Declan Rice may have to be utilised at the base of midfield in their absence.
Rice performed brilliantly as a number eight in both legs against Real Madrid, and to take him out of the position he excelled in could be detrimental to the Gunners’ chances.
Leboeuf argued that Arteta will have to get creative with his selection choices when he told Sports Mole: “[PSG] don’t have three stars with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe not running when they lose the ball. They all do the work, and that’s what you see with Paris Saint-Germain. That’s why it’s going to be harder for Arsenal, but they showed so much strength against Real Madrid – it’s not a given for Paris Saint-Germain.
“The only negative point for Arsenal is the fact that Partey is going to be suspended. Arteta [could] put Timber in the middle of the park and keeps Lewis-Skelly on the other side, or maybe Timber on the other side.
“But he will have to find a good way to be strong in the middle of the park, because in Paris Saint-Germain with Neves and Vitinha, that’s very strong.”
PSG have significantly improved since they faced the Londoners, winning 16 of their last 18 on the road in all competitions, and they could take advantage of a depleted Arsenal side.
Frank Leboeuf was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of BetVictor.
