Betting Tips
UCL Semi-Finals Second Leg: PSG vs. Arsenal & Inter vs. Barcelona
by Chike Nwoye
6 May 2025
I’m not here to judge if it’s catchy or not, but there’s a reason Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal has his own Afrobeat song on the way; “Dance Like Yamine Lamal” by Skales.
The young wizard danced his way through Inter’s defense to score one of the goals of the season in that 6-goal thriller at Nou Camp and I can’t get over it. It was perhaps the most beautiful thing I’ve seen on TV recently, and that’s coming from someone who’s watched five Uche Montana movies in the last three weeks. Anyway, ahead of the second leg, here’s what you should expect:
Inter vs. Barcelona
Despite a rough patch in the league that’s seen them slip three points behind Napoli in the Scudetto race, Inter clearly have the Champions League as their priority. Simone Inzaghi made 10 changes to the side that drew with Barcelona, and it was the first time since 2015 that the club had made that many changes in a single lineup. Only Yann Aurel Bisseck kept his place, and even he was subbed off with 20 minutes to go. It was a gamble, but it worked as they edged out Verona 1-0 to keep that three-point gap to Napoli intact.
Barcelona also shuffled the pack, making nine changes for their game against Valladolid—a bold move given they’re still leading the LaLiga title race. But after falling behind 1-0, the heavy hitters—Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Frenkie de Jong—had to be called off the bench. They helped turn the game around, with Barça sealing a 2-1 comeback win to maintain their four-point lead at the top. Now, all eyes shift back to the Champions League as they continue chasing a quadruple.
First Leg Recap
The first leg was hands down one of the best Champions League fixtures of the season. Inter raced to a 2-0 lead through Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, but then teenage star Lamine Yamal—who doesn’t even turn 18 until June—decided to take matters into his own hands. He pulled Barcelona back into the tie with one of the goals of the season, weaving through half of Inter’s back line like it was a training drill.
After the game, Inter boss Simone Inzaghi couldn’t hide his admiration: “Lamine [Yamal] is the kind of talent that comes along every 50 years, and to see him up close really impressed me. I'm really enthusiastic about what my lads did. They worked really hard against him, doubling and tripling up on him. At half-time, we changed a little. We had to mark Lamine Yamal even better - that guy really impacted me tonight. He really did.”
Moments after Yamal’s goal, Raphinha teed up Ferran Torres for the equalizer, and in the second half, both sides added a goal each to make it 3-3. But it wasn’t your typical high-scoring chaos—it was a proper display of individual brilliance across the pitch. Heading into the second leg in Italy, both managers might want to tighten things up defensively—but with the firepower on both ends, good luck trying to cage these attackers.
Expected Line-Ups
Good news for Barça fans—one of this season’s UCL top scorers, Robert Lewandowski (11 goals in 12 games), is back in the team after missing the last five games with a muscle injury.
However, I believe Ferran Torres might still get the start. That said, the injury list is still pretty long. Alejandro Balde remains out and he’s joined on the sidelines by Jules Kounde, Marc Bernal, Marc Casado, and Pablo Torre. Meanwhile, Marc-André ter Stegen—who just returned this weekend after being out for seven months with a knee injury—can’t feature because he wasn’t registered for the knockout rounds. Yikes!
Over at Inter, captain Lautaro Martinez could return to the starting XI. He had to come off at halftime at Camp Nou with a thigh issue, and early reports said he’d need a miracle to be fit for the second leg. Well, looks like it happened. Miracle no dey tire Bros J?
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer | Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni | Dumfries, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Barella, Dimarco | Martinez, Thuram
Barcelona (4-3-3): Szczesny | Garcia, Araujo, Cubarsi, Martinez | De Jong, Pedri, Olmo | Yamal, Raphinha, Torres
Key Stats:
- There has been a penalty in 46% of Inter Milan's UCL games this season and our bet of the day is for one to be given on Tuesday.
- Barcelona have scored 40 goals in this UCL campaign, the most by a side in a season since 2019/20 (43 by Bayern). The only other teams in the competition’s history have scored over 40 goals in a single campaign; Barcelona (45 in 1999/2000), Real Madrid (41 in 2013/14) and Liverpool (also 41 in 2017/18).
- 12 of Barcelona’s 13 games in this season’s UCL campaign have featured Over 2.5 total goals.
Betting Tips:
- Penalty taken (Yes) - @2.85
- Over 2.5 Goals @1.43
- Bet Builder: Both Teams to Score + Over 3.5 Cards @2.40
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Arsenal
With Man City and the rest of the Top 5 hopefuls right on their heels, Arsenal had no choice but to field their strongest XI On Saturday as Bournemouth came to visit.
The gamble didn’t pay off, despite Declan Rice giving them the lead, and the Cherries turned things around to snatch all 3 points, completing their first-ever league double over the Gunners. It was Arsenal’s second straight home defeat in all competitions and their fifth in 15 games at the Emirates.
What’s even more concerning is that they've now dropped 21 league points from winning positions—matching their worst-ever tally in a single season. So yeah, heading to Paris for the second leg, there’s a fair bit of concern. But, Mikel Arteta has never lacked confidence. In his words, following the loss to PSG last week: “We are going to have to do something special in Paris. We have to go to Paris and win the game. We are more than capable of doing it.”
There’s very little to read into PSG’s weekend. Having lost to Nice last week which robbed them of the chance to have an unbeaten league campaign, there was little motivation ahead of their game with Strasbourg.
With this in mind, Luis Enrique made 10 changes to the side that won at Arsenal, and Strasbourg took advantage, edging them 2-1. Normally, the extra rest for PSG’s key players should be a boost going into this one, but considering Arsenal had a two-day rest advantage before the first leg and still came up short… maybe let’s not read too much into that.
First Leg Recap
PSG came flying out of the blocks, with Dembele opening the scoring early, and Donnarumma pulling off some world-class saves to keep out Martinelli and Trossard. Arsenal had struck first in their previous nine matches, so that early PSG goal definitely caught the online betting
community off guard. The French side dominated the first 20–25 minutes, piling on the pressure as the Gunners struggled to settle.
After about half an hour, Arsenal finally found their rhythm. Mikel Merino thought he’d grabbed the equalizer early in the second half, but it was chalked off for offside. Still, Arsenal kept pushing—Declan Rice charged forward on one of his signature runs and slipped in Trossard, but once again, Donnarumma was up to the task with a big save. In truth, Arsenal were fortunate the damage stayed at just one. Barcola missed a big chance for PSG when clean through, and Ramos hit the crossbar late on after beating Raya.
One key area PSG exploited was their left flank, where January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was a real menace—just like he was against Aston Villa in the last round. He blew past Jurrien Timber to set up Dembele’s opener, and it’s hard to imagine they won’t lean on him in Paris. As for Vitinha, it’s no surprise he was named Man of the Match. He ran the show—linking attacks, keeping things tidy, helping win the ball back, and always offering an outlet. Just a top all-around performance from him.
Expected Line-Ups
The big talking point from the first leg was Dembele’s hamstring injury. He’s reportedly making progress, but throwing him straight into the starting XI in Paris feels like a risk. My guess? He starts on the bench and only comes on if PSG are chasing a goal. Goncalo Ramos is likely to get the nod in his place. On the Arsenal side, Thomas Partey is back in the squad after missing the first leg because of a suspension. With Vitinha running the show last time out, Partey’s return couldn’t come at a better time.
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma | Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes | Vitinha, Neves, Fabian | Doue, Ramos, Kvaratskhelia
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya | Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly | Rice, Partey, Odegaard | Saka, Merino, Martinelli
Key Stats:
- There has been a first half goal in each of PSG’s last 7 games in a row.
- Only two teams have ever progressed to the UCL final after losing the first leg of a semis at home - Ajax against Panathinaikos in 1996 and Tottenham Hotspur against Ajax in 2019
- PSG have won 3 of their last 4 UCL home games, scoring 14 goals in those 3 victories.
Betting Tips:
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 appsp in the market and book a bet today to start your journey towards winning millions.
I’m not here to judge if it’s catchy or not, but there’s a reason Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal has his own Afrobeat song on the way; “Dance Like Yamine Lamal” by Skales.
The young wizard danced his way through Inter’s defense to score one of the goals of the season in that 6-goal thriller at Nou Camp and I can’t get over it. It was perhaps the most beautiful thing I’ve seen on TV recently, and that’s coming from someone who’s watched five Uche Montana movies in the last three weeks. Anyway, ahead of the second leg, here’s what you should expect:
Inter vs. Barcelona
Despite a rough patch in the league that’s seen them slip three points behind Napoli in the Scudetto race, Inter clearly have the Champions League as their priority. Simone Inzaghi made 10 changes to the side that drew with Barcelona, and it was the first time since 2015 that the club had made that many changes in a single lineup. Only Yann Aurel Bisseck kept his place, and even he was subbed off with 20 minutes to go. It was a gamble, but it worked as they edged out Verona 1-0 to keep that three-point gap to Napoli intact.
Barcelona also shuffled the pack, making nine changes for their game against Valladolid—a bold move given they’re still leading the LaLiga title race. But after falling behind 1-0, the heavy hitters—Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Frenkie de Jong—had to be called off the bench. They helped turn the game around, with Barça sealing a 2-1 comeback win to maintain their four-point lead at the top. Now, all eyes shift back to the Champions League as they continue chasing a quadruple.
First Leg Recap
The first leg was hands down one of the best Champions League fixtures of the season. Inter raced to a 2-0 lead through Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, but then teenage star Lamine Yamal—who doesn’t even turn 18 until June—decided to take matters into his own hands. He pulled Barcelona back into the tie with one of the goals of the season, weaving through half of Inter’s back line like it was a training drill.
After the game, Inter boss Simone Inzaghi couldn’t hide his admiration: “Lamine [Yamal] is the kind of talent that comes along every 50 years, and to see him up close really impressed me. I'm really enthusiastic about what my lads did. They worked really hard against him, doubling and tripling up on him. At half-time, we changed a little. We had to mark Lamine Yamal even better - that guy really impacted me tonight. He really did.”
Moments after Yamal’s goal, Raphinha teed up Ferran Torres for the equalizer, and in the second half, both sides added a goal each to make it 3-3. But it wasn’t your typical high-scoring chaos—it was a proper display of individual brilliance across the pitch. Heading into the second leg in Italy, both managers might want to tighten things up defensively—but with the firepower on both ends, good luck trying to cage these attackers.
Expected Line-Ups
Good news for Barça fans—one of this season’s UCL top scorers, Robert Lewandowski (11 goals in 12 games), is back in the team after missing the last five games with a muscle injury.
However, I believe Ferran Torres might still get the start. That said, the injury list is still pretty long. Alejandro Balde remains out and he’s joined on the sidelines by Jules Kounde, Marc Bernal, Marc Casado, and Pablo Torre. Meanwhile, Marc-André ter Stegen—who just returned this weekend after being out for seven months with a knee injury—can’t feature because he wasn’t registered for the knockout rounds. Yikes!
Over at Inter, captain Lautaro Martinez could return to the starting XI. He had to come off at halftime at Camp Nou with a thigh issue, and early reports said he’d need a miracle to be fit for the second leg. Well, looks like it happened. Miracle no dey tire Bros J?
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer | Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni | Dumfries, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Barella, Dimarco | Martinez, Thuram
Barcelona (4-3-3): Szczesny | Garcia, Araujo, Cubarsi, Martinez | De Jong, Pedri, Olmo | Yamal, Raphinha, Torres
Key Stats:
- There has been a penalty in 46% of Inter Milan's UCL games this season and our bet of the day is for one to be given on Tuesday.
- Barcelona have scored 40 goals in this UCL campaign, the most by a side in a season since 2019/20 (43 by Bayern). The only other teams in the competition’s history have scored over 40 goals in a single campaign; Barcelona (45 in 1999/2000), Real Madrid (41 in 2013/14) and Liverpool (also 41 in 2017/18).
- 12 of Barcelona’s 13 games in this season’s UCL campaign have featured Over 2.5 total goals.
Betting Tips:
- Penalty taken (Yes) - @2.85
- Over 2.5 Goals @1.43
- Bet Builder: Both Teams to Score + Over 3.5 Cards @2.40
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Arsenal
With Man City and the rest of the Top 5 hopefuls right on their heels, Arsenal had no choice but to field their strongest XI On Saturday as Bournemouth came to visit.
The gamble didn’t pay off, despite Declan Rice giving them the lead, and the Cherries turned things around to snatch all 3 points, completing their first-ever league double over the Gunners. It was Arsenal’s second straight home defeat in all competitions and their fifth in 15 games at the Emirates.
What’s even more concerning is that they've now dropped 21 league points from winning positions—matching their worst-ever tally in a single season. So yeah, heading to Paris for the second leg, there’s a fair bit of concern. But, Mikel Arteta has never lacked confidence. In his words, following the loss to PSG last week: “We are going to have to do something special in Paris. We have to go to Paris and win the game. We are more than capable of doing it.”
There’s very little to read into PSG’s weekend. Having lost to Nice last week which robbed them of the chance to have an unbeaten league campaign, there was little motivation ahead of their game with Strasbourg.
With this in mind, Luis Enrique made 10 changes to the side that won at Arsenal, and Strasbourg took advantage, edging them 2-1. Normally, the extra rest for PSG’s key players should be a boost going into this one, but considering Arsenal had a two-day rest advantage before the first leg and still came up short… maybe let’s not read too much into that.
First Leg Recap
PSG came flying out of the blocks, with Dembele opening the scoring early, and Donnarumma pulling off some world-class saves to keep out Martinelli and Trossard. Arsenal had struck first in their previous nine matches, so that early PSG goal definitely caught the online betting
community off guard. The French side dominated the first 20–25 minutes, piling on the pressure as the Gunners struggled to settle.
After about half an hour, Arsenal finally found their rhythm. Mikel Merino thought he’d grabbed the equalizer early in the second half, but it was chalked off for offside. Still, Arsenal kept pushing—Declan Rice charged forward on one of his signature runs and slipped in Trossard, but once again, Donnarumma was up to the task with a big save. In truth, Arsenal were fortunate the damage stayed at just one. Barcola missed a big chance for PSG when clean through, and Ramos hit the crossbar late on after beating Raya.
One key area PSG exploited was their left flank, where January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was a real menace—just like he was against Aston Villa in the last round. He blew past Jurrien Timber to set up Dembele’s opener, and it’s hard to imagine they won’t lean on him in Paris. As for Vitinha, it’s no surprise he was named Man of the Match. He ran the show—linking attacks, keeping things tidy, helping win the ball back, and always offering an outlet. Just a top all-around performance from him.
Expected Line-Ups
The big talking point from the first leg was Dembele’s hamstring injury. He’s reportedly making progress, but throwing him straight into the starting XI in Paris feels like a risk. My guess? He starts on the bench and only comes on if PSG are chasing a goal. Goncalo Ramos is likely to get the nod in his place. On the Arsenal side, Thomas Partey is back in the squad after missing the first leg because of a suspension. With Vitinha running the show last time out, Partey’s return couldn’t come at a better time.
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma | Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes | Vitinha, Neves, Fabian | Doue, Ramos, Kvaratskhelia
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya | Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly | Rice, Partey, Odegaard | Saka, Merino, Martinelli
Key Stats:
- There has been a first half goal in each of PSG’s last 7 games in a row.
- Only two teams have ever progressed to the UCL final after losing the first leg of a semis at home - Ajax against Panathinaikos in 1996 and Tottenham Hotspur against Ajax in 2019
- PSG have won 3 of their last 4 UCL home games, scoring 14 goals in those 3 victories.
Betting Tips:
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 appsp in the market and book a bet today to start your journey towards winning millions.