Betting Tips
UCL Semi-Finals! Arsenal vs. PSG & Barcelona vs. Inter Milan
by Chike Nwoye
29 Apr 2025
And then there were four.
What I found fascinating about these semi-finalists is that, as of last week, three of them were still chasing a treble — so they had even more reason to go all out here. Not that they needed any extra push — this is the biggest club competition on the planet, after all. Anyway, that number is down to two, with only PSG and Barcelona now with a chance of achieving this feat. But treble talk aside, let’s dive into what’s coming up.
Arsenal vs. Paris Saint-Germain
In a rematch of their Matchday 2 showdown, PSG head to North London hoping for a different result this time. Back in October, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka scored in the first half to give the Gunners a 2-0 lead, and despite PSG pushing hard, Arsenal held on till the final whistle.
For Arsenal, this competition is their last shot at silverware this season, and they've made it clear they mean business. They won 6 of their 8 group games, losing just once, while banging in 16 goals and letting in only 3.
That strong run landed them a 3rd-place finish in the group. But if that was impressive, what they’ve done in the knockouts has been even better. In the Round of 16, they crushed PSV 7-1 away and followed it up with a 2-2 draw at the Emirates. And just when you thought they couldn’t top that, they absolutely dismantled Real Madrid — 5-1 on aggregate — to punch their ticket to the semis. They didn’t just beat the UCL holders, they dominated them over both legs, all while dealing with injuries in key positions.
As for PSG, their road has been much tougher. Their group stage was brutal — facing Arsenal, Atleti, Bayern, and Man City in half of their games — and they only managed one win against those heavyweights. But like Arsenal, they've grown into the season. After smashing Brest 10-0 on aggregate in the playoff, they knocked out two English sides — Liverpool and Aston Villa — in back-to-back rounds.
With both teams hitting top form at just the right time, this one has all the makings of an absolute classic.
Head-To-Head
Their Matchday 2 clash was actually the first time these two had met since 2016, so there isn’t much recent history between them. That said, PSG have never beaten Arsenal, and given how much the Parisians have struggled against English teams there’s definitely some reason to worry.
- Arsenal 2 - 0 PSG (01/10/2024)
- Arsenal 2 - 2 PSG (23/22/2016)
- PSG 1 - 1 Arsenal (13/09/2016)
Recent Form In All Competitions (Last 10 Games)
Arsenal are currently unbeaten in their last 8 Champions League fixtures (W7, D1), their second-longest streak without a loss in a single campaign. The only time they went longer was back in 2005/06, when they went 12 games unbeaten (W8, D4) on their way to the final, where they eventually lost to Barcelona.
Hmmm… Across all competitions though, it’s been a mixed bag lately — 5 wins and 5 draws from their last 10. PSG, on the other hand, have been sharper, winning 8 of their last 10, with 2 losses. One of those defeats came over the weekend against Nice, which dashed their hopes of going through the Ligue 1 season unbeaten.
- Arsenal: D-D-W-W-D-W-D-W-W-D
- Paris Saint-Germain: W-W-W-W-W-W-L-W-D-L
Expected Line-Ups
For Arsenal, they’ll be without Kai Havertz, Gabriel, and Gabriel Jesus — all three featured in the first meeting but are now out for the rest of the season with injuries. Thomas Partey is also unavailable as he’s serving a one-game suspension, while Calafiori and Ben White’s involvements are still unclear.
As for PSG, they’ll have a boost with Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia both available this time around — neither of them played in the earlier clash, with Dembélé out with a minor injury while Kvaratskhelia hadn’t joined the club yet.
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya | Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly | Rice, Merino, Odegaard | Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma | Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes | Vitinha, Neves, Fabian | Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
Key Stats:
- Arsenal have scored the opening goal of the game in their last 9 games
- Arsenal have won 75% of their UCL games this season
- PSG have lost five of their last 6 away games against English teams in this competition (W1), losing against 4 different opponents in this run; Man City (x2), Arsenal, Newcastle and Aston Villa.
Betting Tips:
- First Team Goal: Arsenal @1.80
- Double Chance: Arsenal to Win or Draw @1.31
- Bet Builder: Bukayo Saka Anytime Scorer + Ousmane Dembélé Anytime Scorer @8.50
Barcelona vs. Inter
"Let me tell you something: I am destroyed, so tired. We suffered so much." Those were Ferran Torres' words after Barcelona edged Real Madrid 3-2 in extra-time to win the Copa del Rey.
So, expect some tired legs. It was a sweet victory for the Catalans, but Madrid definitely made them work for it. Having already beaten Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España back in January, this marked Barca’s second trophy of the season — and their third win in three meetings with their fierce rivals. More importantly, it kept their treble dreams alive... and even opened the door for a quadruple.
This matchup should be a proper battle of styles, especially in the midfield. Inter’s trio of Calhanoglu, Barella, and Mkhitaryan bring a ton of experience and can outwork almost anyone, plus they know how to chip in with goals when needed. On the flip side, Barcelona’s midfield trio of De Jong, Pedri, and Olmo are all about technical excellence — they can pass teams to death when they’re in the groove.
And you can’t talk about Barca right now without mentioning their 17-year-old phenom, Lamine Yamal. Over the years, we’ve seen special teenage talents like Wayne Rooney, Ronaldo (the Brazilian one), Cesc Fàbregas, and Kylian Mbappé — but the mix of talent and confidence Yamal shows is on another level.
After Saturday’s final, he said, “Even if we concede one goal, no problem. Even if we concede two goals, it’s still no problem. This year, they simply can’t beat us. We've proven that. I'm really happy.” Big words from a 17-year-old — and he’s backing it up too, with 2 goals, 2 assists, 5 key passes, and 2 big chances created against Madrid this season alone. Our bet of the day for this first leg is for him to have a goal involvement, and we have the best odds for that among all online betting sites.
Head-To-Head
These two sides have clashed 12 times in the Champions League, with Barcelona winning 6 to Inter’s 2 (4 draws). 10 of those encounters have taken place in the group stage and their most recent meeting in late 2022 gave us a 3-3 thriller, with Robert Lewandowski and Lautaro Martinez both finding the back of the net.
The only knockout meeting they’ve ever had was a classic semi-final clash back in 2010, when Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola were in charge. Mourinho’s Inter won the first leg 3-1, then parked one of the most iconic buses ever seen at Camp Nou. They lost 1-0 in that second leg but advanced on 3-2 aggregate. If this tie serves up even half the drama of that one, we’re in for a wild ride.
- Barcelona 3 - 3 Inter (12/10/2022)
- Inter 1 - 0 Barcelona (04/10/2022)
- Inter 1 - 2 Barcelona (10/12/2019)
Recent Form In All Competitions (Last 10 Games)
Inter, had a weekend to forget — actually, a full week of nightmare especially with their Serie A results. Two straight 1-0 losses to Bologna and AS Roma have seen them tumble from 3 points clear at the top of Serie A to now trailing Napoli by 3, with just 4 games to go. To make matters worse, sandwiched between those league defeats was a brutal 3-0 loss to AC Milan in the Coppa Italia, knocking them out of the cup. In just over a week, Inter’s treble dreams have completely evaporated, and now they’re staring down the barrel of ending the season empty-handed. In Barcelona, it’s all smiles with 8 wins in their last 10 games, including 3 in a row.
- Barcelona: W-W-W-D-W-W-L-W-W-W
- Inter: W-W-D-D-W-W-D-L-L-L
Expected Line-Ups
The biggest miss for Barcelona in this one will be Robert Lewandowski, who’s sidelined with a muscle injury that’s kept him out of the last two matches. The Polish striker has been in incredible form this season, bagging 40 goals in 48 games, including 11 in this competition, making him one of the UCL top scorers in this campaign.
In his absence, Ferran Torres will take the starting spot. The Spanish forward has been a reliable backup, netting 18 goals this season, including one in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid over the weekend.
Barcelona (4-3-3): Szczesny | Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Martin | De Jong, Pedri, Olmo | Yamal, Raphinha, Torres
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer | Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni | Darmian, Dimarco, Calhanoglu, Barella, Mkhitaryan | Martinez, Thuram
Key Stats:
Inter have lost just one of their 12 games in this season’s UCL campaign, while keeping 8 clean sheets.
11 of Barcelona’s 12 games in this season’s UCL campaign have featured Over 2.5 total goals.
Raphinha has 12 goals & 7 assists in 12 UCL games this season, just three goals or assists away from having the most goal involvements in a single Champions League season (Cristiano Ronaldo has the record of 21 set in 2013/14).
Betting Tips:
- Over 2.5 Total Goals @1.58
- Bet Builder: Ferran Torress Anytime Scorer + Lamine Yamal 1+ Assist @6.25
- Raphinha Anytime Scorer @2.80
BetKing offers you the chance to win big by betting on UEFA tournaments like the Champions League, Europa League & Europa Conference League. Join us today to get value for money. Try out the best betting app in the market and book a bet today to start your journey towards winning millions.
And then there were four.
What I found fascinating about these semi-finalists is that, as of last week, three of them were still chasing a treble — so they had even more reason to go all out here. Not that they needed any extra push — this is the biggest club competition on the planet, after all. Anyway, that number is down to two, with only PSG and Barcelona now with a chance of achieving this feat. But treble talk aside, let’s dive into what’s coming up.
Arsenal vs. Paris Saint-Germain
In a rematch of their Matchday 2 showdown, PSG head to North London hoping for a different result this time. Back in October, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka scored in the first half to give the Gunners a 2-0 lead, and despite PSG pushing hard, Arsenal held on till the final whistle.
For Arsenal, this competition is their last shot at silverware this season, and they've made it clear they mean business. They won 6 of their 8 group games, losing just once, while banging in 16 goals and letting in only 3.
That strong run landed them a 3rd-place finish in the group. But if that was impressive, what they’ve done in the knockouts has been even better. In the Round of 16, they crushed PSV 7-1 away and followed it up with a 2-2 draw at the Emirates. And just when you thought they couldn’t top that, they absolutely dismantled Real Madrid — 5-1 on aggregate — to punch their ticket to the semis. They didn’t just beat the UCL holders, they dominated them over both legs, all while dealing with injuries in key positions.
As for PSG, their road has been much tougher. Their group stage was brutal — facing Arsenal, Atleti, Bayern, and Man City in half of their games — and they only managed one win against those heavyweights. But like Arsenal, they've grown into the season. After smashing Brest 10-0 on aggregate in the playoff, they knocked out two English sides — Liverpool and Aston Villa — in back-to-back rounds.
With both teams hitting top form at just the right time, this one has all the makings of an absolute classic.
Head-To-Head
Their Matchday 2 clash was actually the first time these two had met since 2016, so there isn’t much recent history between them. That said, PSG have never beaten Arsenal, and given how much the Parisians have struggled against English teams there’s definitely some reason to worry.
- Arsenal 2 - 0 PSG (01/10/2024)
- Arsenal 2 - 2 PSG (23/22/2016)
- PSG 1 - 1 Arsenal (13/09/2016)
Recent Form In All Competitions (Last 10 Games)
Arsenal are currently unbeaten in their last 8 Champions League fixtures (W7, D1), their second-longest streak without a loss in a single campaign. The only time they went longer was back in 2005/06, when they went 12 games unbeaten (W8, D4) on their way to the final, where they eventually lost to Barcelona.
Hmmm… Across all competitions though, it’s been a mixed bag lately — 5 wins and 5 draws from their last 10. PSG, on the other hand, have been sharper, winning 8 of their last 10, with 2 losses. One of those defeats came over the weekend against Nice, which dashed their hopes of going through the Ligue 1 season unbeaten.
- Arsenal: D-D-W-W-D-W-D-W-W-D
- Paris Saint-Germain: W-W-W-W-W-W-L-W-D-L
Expected Line-Ups
For Arsenal, they’ll be without Kai Havertz, Gabriel, and Gabriel Jesus — all three featured in the first meeting but are now out for the rest of the season with injuries. Thomas Partey is also unavailable as he’s serving a one-game suspension, while Calafiori and Ben White’s involvements are still unclear.
As for PSG, they’ll have a boost with Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia both available this time around — neither of them played in the earlier clash, with Dembélé out with a minor injury while Kvaratskhelia hadn’t joined the club yet.
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya | Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly | Rice, Merino, Odegaard | Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma | Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes | Vitinha, Neves, Fabian | Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
Key Stats:
- Arsenal have scored the opening goal of the game in their last 9 games
- Arsenal have won 75% of their UCL games this season
- PSG have lost five of their last 6 away games against English teams in this competition (W1), losing against 4 different opponents in this run; Man City (x2), Arsenal, Newcastle and Aston Villa.
Betting Tips:
- First Team Goal: Arsenal @1.80
- Double Chance: Arsenal to Win or Draw @1.31
- Bet Builder: Bukayo Saka Anytime Scorer + Ousmane Dembélé Anytime Scorer @8.50
Barcelona vs. Inter
"Let me tell you something: I am destroyed, so tired. We suffered so much." Those were Ferran Torres' words after Barcelona edged Real Madrid 3-2 in extra-time to win the Copa del Rey.
So, expect some tired legs. It was a sweet victory for the Catalans, but Madrid definitely made them work for it. Having already beaten Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España back in January, this marked Barca’s second trophy of the season — and their third win in three meetings with their fierce rivals. More importantly, it kept their treble dreams alive... and even opened the door for a quadruple.
This matchup should be a proper battle of styles, especially in the midfield. Inter’s trio of Calhanoglu, Barella, and Mkhitaryan bring a ton of experience and can outwork almost anyone, plus they know how to chip in with goals when needed. On the flip side, Barcelona’s midfield trio of De Jong, Pedri, and Olmo are all about technical excellence — they can pass teams to death when they’re in the groove.
And you can’t talk about Barca right now without mentioning their 17-year-old phenom, Lamine Yamal. Over the years, we’ve seen special teenage talents like Wayne Rooney, Ronaldo (the Brazilian one), Cesc Fàbregas, and Kylian Mbappé — but the mix of talent and confidence Yamal shows is on another level.
After Saturday’s final, he said, “Even if we concede one goal, no problem. Even if we concede two goals, it’s still no problem. This year, they simply can’t beat us. We've proven that. I'm really happy.” Big words from a 17-year-old — and he’s backing it up too, with 2 goals, 2 assists, 5 key passes, and 2 big chances created against Madrid this season alone. Our bet of the day for this first leg is for him to have a goal involvement, and we have the best odds for that among all online betting sites.
Head-To-Head
These two sides have clashed 12 times in the Champions League, with Barcelona winning 6 to Inter’s 2 (4 draws). 10 of those encounters have taken place in the group stage and their most recent meeting in late 2022 gave us a 3-3 thriller, with Robert Lewandowski and Lautaro Martinez both finding the back of the net.
The only knockout meeting they’ve ever had was a classic semi-final clash back in 2010, when Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola were in charge. Mourinho’s Inter won the first leg 3-1, then parked one of the most iconic buses ever seen at Camp Nou. They lost 1-0 in that second leg but advanced on 3-2 aggregate. If this tie serves up even half the drama of that one, we’re in for a wild ride.
- Barcelona 3 - 3 Inter (12/10/2022)
- Inter 1 - 0 Barcelona (04/10/2022)
- Inter 1 - 2 Barcelona (10/12/2019)
Recent Form In All Competitions (Last 10 Games)
Inter, had a weekend to forget — actually, a full week of nightmare especially with their Serie A results. Two straight 1-0 losses to Bologna and AS Roma have seen them tumble from 3 points clear at the top of Serie A to now trailing Napoli by 3, with just 4 games to go. To make matters worse, sandwiched between those league defeats was a brutal 3-0 loss to AC Milan in the Coppa Italia, knocking them out of the cup. In just over a week, Inter’s treble dreams have completely evaporated, and now they’re staring down the barrel of ending the season empty-handed. In Barcelona, it’s all smiles with 8 wins in their last 10 games, including 3 in a row.
- Barcelona: W-W-W-D-W-W-L-W-W-W
- Inter: W-W-D-D-W-W-D-L-L-L
Expected Line-Ups
The biggest miss for Barcelona in this one will be Robert Lewandowski, who’s sidelined with a muscle injury that’s kept him out of the last two matches. The Polish striker has been in incredible form this season, bagging 40 goals in 48 games, including 11 in this competition, making him one of the UCL top scorers in this campaign.
In his absence, Ferran Torres will take the starting spot. The Spanish forward has been a reliable backup, netting 18 goals this season, including one in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid over the weekend.
Barcelona (4-3-3): Szczesny | Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Martin | De Jong, Pedri, Olmo | Yamal, Raphinha, Torres
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer | Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni | Darmian, Dimarco, Calhanoglu, Barella, Mkhitaryan | Martinez, Thuram
Key Stats:
Inter have lost just one of their 12 games in this season’s UCL campaign, while keeping 8 clean sheets.
11 of Barcelona’s 12 games in this season’s UCL campaign have featured Over 2.5 total goals.
Raphinha has 12 goals & 7 assists in 12 UCL games this season, just three goals or assists away from having the most goal involvements in a single Champions League season (Cristiano Ronaldo has the record of 21 set in 2013/14).
Betting Tips:
- Over 2.5 Total Goals @1.58
- Bet Builder: Ferran Torress Anytime Scorer + Lamine Yamal 1+ Assist @6.25
- Raphinha Anytime Scorer @2.80
BetKing offers you the chance to win big by betting on UEFA tournaments like the Champions League, Europa League & Europa Conference League. Join us today to get value for money. Try out the best betting app in the market and book a bet today to start your journey towards winning millions.