Big Match Feature: Arsenal v PSG

Following their triumph over reigning champions Real Madrid in the quarterfinals, Arsenal – who will face Paris SG next – are now the overall favourites to win the Uefa Champions League this season (32 per cent). Catch all the action live on SuperSport, match build-up starts at 8pm CAT.

In the other semifinal tie, the Opta Predictor has Inter Milan (50.1 per cent) and Barcelona (49.9 per cent) with an almost identical chance of progressing to the final.

STARS OF TOMORROW ILLUMINATE UCL

In this season’s expanded format, it’s perhaps not all that surprising that young players are playing more than ever in the Uefa Champions League. Naturally, more games mean more opportunities to play.

And yet, even with more games on the calendar, what we’re seeing this season still stands as an outlier when it comes to the protagonism of youngsters in Europe’s premier club competition.

In fact, we must go all the way back to 1992-93 – in the competition’s inaugural campaign – for the last time players aged 21 or under were as prominent as they have been this season.

As recently as the 2014-15 edition, there wasn’t a single player aged 21 or under to start a game beyond the quarterfinals. Not only will there be youthful presence among the starting XIs this year, but they’ll also be crucial components of their team’s success. In the previous round, the 20 starts made by players 21 or under in the quarterfinals was the most a single edition since 2002-03 (22).

From the unflappable Myles Lewis-Skelly at Arsenal, to the industry and ingenuity of Paris SG’s João Neves and Désiré Doué, to the composure of Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsí, a host of young stars now stand primed to influence the direction of this season’s tournament.

And then there’s Lamine Yamal – already one of world football’s most influential attackers – in a category of his own. He’s set to become just the second 17-year-old to start in a semifinal in Uefa Champions League history, yet he’ll arrive there as one of the most feared players in the competition.

YOUTHFUL PSG PUT EUROPE ON NOTICE

In the case of Luis Enrique’s Paris SG side, that streak of youth runs right through their team and has typified their rejuvenation at the top level of the game. Since the break-up of their star-studded trident – formed by Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar – the Ligue 1 champions are now reaping the rewards of their decision to rebuild through younger talent and a greater collective focus.

Paris SG’s starting XI is the fifth youngest in terms of average age across the Uefa Champions League this term (24y 250d), while they’re the youngest side to have progressed beyond the play-off round. Indeed, they would be an historically youthful side to go on and lift the trophy, should they make it all the way.

WHAT THE STATS SAY

This will be the sixth meeting between Arsenal and Paris SG, while the Gunners are unbeaten across the previous five (W2 D3). Arsenal are the opponent that the French side have faced the most times in European competition without ever winning (5).

Arsenal have already beaten Paris SG in the Uefa Champions League this season, winning 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the league phase last October. Only one English side have beaten Paris SG twice in a single edition of the competition: Manchester City in the 2020-21 semifinals (2-1 away, 2-0 at home).

Paris SG have lost five of their last six away matches against English teams in the Uefa Champions League (W1), losing against four different opponents in this run (Manchester City x2, Arsenal, Newcastle, and Aston Villa).

This will be just the third Uefa Champions League semifinal tie to see two Spanish managers face off against each other (Mikel Arteta with Arsenal and Luis Enrique with Paris SG), after Carles Rexach (Barcelona) v Vicente del Bosque (Real Madrid) in 2001-02 and Pep Guardiola (Bayern Munich) v Luis Enrique (Barcelona) in 2014-15.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games in the Uefa Champions League (W7 D1). This is their second-longest run without defeat within a single edition, following a 12-game streak in 2005-06 (W8 D4), when they achieved their only final appearance in the competition (finished as runners-up).

Arsenal have been ahead on the scoreboard for 53 per cent of their total match time in the Uefa Champions League this season; the highest per centage of any team. Meanwhile, only Inter Milan (1 per cent) have been behind for a lower per centage of their game time than the Gunners (6 per cent), who haven’t trailed at any point in the knockout stages this term (v PSV and Real Madrid).

Eighty-seven per cent of Paris SG’s pressures in the Uefa Champions League this season have been applied with high- intensity; the highest per centage of any team. Meanwhile, midfielder João Neves (715) is the player with the most high-intensity pressures applied in the tournament this term.

Bukayo Saka has scored nine goals and made six assists in 16 appearances in the Uefa Champions League for Arsenal. This is already the most goal involvements for an English player in their first two seasons in the competition, and the most by a winger in their first two since Sadio Mané (16 across 2017-18 and 2018-19).

Ousmane Dembélé has been directly involved in 10 goals in the Uefa Champions League this season (seven goals, three assists), and could equal the record for most goal involvements by a Paris SG player in a single edition, currently held by Kylian Mbappé (11 in 2020-21 – eight goals, three assists).

Paris SG have four different players averaging 2+ completed dribbles per 90 in the Uefa Champions League this season (Doué 3.1, Kvaratskhelia 2.7, Barcola 2.6, and Dembélé 2.2), the most on a single team (min. 300 mins played). Indeed, Paris SG’s total of 190 completed dribbles is the most in a single edition since Barcelona in 2014-15 (238), who were also managed by Luis Enrique.