Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain Champions League semi-final first leg preview: Where to watch, predicted line-ups, team news

Arsenal host Paris in their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday 29 April at 21:00 CET.

Where to watch the game on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.

What do you need to know?

No team comes into the last four on more of a high than Arsenal after they swept aside Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. As in that tie, the Gunners are at home first and they have arguably produced their best work in London so far in this campaign.

The 3-0 first-leg victory against Madrid stretched their unbeaten run to 17 UEFA competition home matches, so there will be a degree of expectancy in the opening instalment of their first Champions League semi-final since 2008/09. Mikel Arteta's men will also be buoyed by October's impressive 2-0 victory against Paris in front of their own fans in this season's league phase.

Though Paris have yet to win in five competitive games against the north London club (D3 L2), they will take heart from the fact that they have seen off two high-flying Premier League sides in the knockout phase already this season – Liverpool in the round of 16 and Aston Villa in the quarter-finals – and had won four straight away games in the Champions League before their second-leg defeat at Villa Park.

The French outfit are also more experienced at this stage of the competition, having now reached the semi-finals in four of the last six seasons.

Possible line-ups

Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Rice, Merino; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli

Paris: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; João Neves, Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz; Doué, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia

Form guide

Arsenal

Form: DWWDWD
Latest: Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace, Premier League, 23/04

Paris

Form: LDWLWW
Latest: Paris 1-3 Nice, Ligue 1, 25/04

Form includes all competitive games in the 2024/25 season; the most recent result is listed first. For statistical purposes, penalty shoot-outs do not count towards results.

Views from the camps

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal coach: "Especially with the circumstances this season and how we have overcome a lot of issues and challenges, we have become one of the best four teams in Europe. It's a beautiful story right now but we want more."

Luis Enrique, Paris coach: "We are a more complete team [than in the League Phase] and we now want to write a page in history. It was 1 October, seven months ago [when we lost to Arsenal]. I think there are big differences. I rewatched the match and saw our progress. I think we're a better team, we've shown that throughout the competition. We had the toughest league phase and now we're in the semi-finals. At first, it was detrimental, but in the end, it was positive because it helped us progress. Arsenal and Paris are similar. They are a team capable of attacking and defending together, with high-level individuals like us, without being dependent on them."

Gabriel Martinelli, Arsenal forward: "This club deserves to have [success] and we're really happy to be involved in this moment. We believe we can win it; [the title is] an amazing thing that we can bring to the club. It's been an amazing journey for me. Not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well. When I got here we were playing in the Europa League and now we're in the semi-final of the Champions League."

Vitinha, Paris midfielder: "We know that Arsenal are very strong on set pieces and are still a good team compared to October. They have a very good team, that's their main characteristic. Offensively, defensively, they do everything together, a bit like us. It's important to keep a cool head and stay focused. It's a very important aspect in these types of matches with the pressure there is."

Reporter's view

Joe Terry, match reporter: Paris' upward trajectory since their 2-0 loss away to Arsenal in the league phase has been nothing short of incredible. Deservedly beaten that day, they have since formed one of the most cohesive sides in the world. The same, however, is true of Arsenal, who seem to be getting more confident in every round, especially following two comprehensive wins against the now former champions Real Madrid. Such ingredients make this semi-final match-up potentially one for the ages.