UEFA Champions League semi-finals: What to look out for in Wednesday's second leg
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
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Paris Saint-Germain hold a slender advantage as they welcome Arsenal for the climax of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
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The UEFA Champions League final is within sight as Paris Saint-Germain hope to build on a 1-0 away success against Arsenal and set up a Munich final against Inter.
UEFA.com previews all the action ahead of the semi-final second leg on Wednesday 7 May.
Kick-off time 21:00 CET
Wednesday 7 May
Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal
Ousmane Dembélé's early goal in London, his eighth in nine Champions League appearances since the start of 2025, has left Paris in sight of their second final. However, the striker may miss the return leg through injury and coach Luis Enrique is adamant that the French champions still face a huge task at the Parc des Princes.
"Our sole objective is to win the second leg at home as well," said the Spaniard. "With Arsenal, we cannot let our guard down and be complacent. This is a team who can completely rewrite history in one second and we'll be back to square one. Nothing is in the bag yet, as they'll have nothing to lose."
Gianluigi Donnarumma made crucial saves as Paris eliminated Liverpool and then Aston Villa in the previous rounds. He made more vital interventions in north London and will need to be on his toes again in the French capital. "That's the work of goalkeepers, no? Save the team," said Luis Enrique. "They work every day for that. In a semi-final, you need every player to perform at a high level."
Paris have won 18 of the 19 UEFA competition ties in which they have recorded a first-leg away win, the only exception a defeat against Manchester United in the 2018/19 round of 16, a tie they lost on away goals (2-0 a, 1-3 h).
That is a small glimmer of hope for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, and goalkeeper David Raya maintains that, even if his side lost the first leg, they have demonstrated what it will take to win the second. "We showed from the 25th minute that we can win against any team," he said. "We've shown this season we can win away from home, so we're going to go to Paris next week to win the game."
Did you know: Arsenal have never overturned a home first-leg defeat in European competition, losing all five ties – most recently against Barcelona in the 2015/16 round of 16 (0-2 h, 1-3 a).
Where is the 2025 UEFA Champions League final being played?
The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final will take place at the Munich Football Arena on 31 May.