When the draw for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals was made, opposition supporters laughed at their Gooner counterparts. They thought that Arsenal were being thrown to the wolves, and that reigning champions Real Madrid would have their way with Mikel Arteta’s side before progressing to the semifinals at a canter. How wrong they were.
The Gunners managed to pull off a sensational 3-0 victory in the first leg at the Emirates, thanks to two Declan Rice thunderbolt free kicks and Mikel Merino’s sweeping finish. But their performance in the second leg in the Bernabeu was arguably even more impressive. Throughout the week-long build-up to the return fixture in the Spanish capital, all the talk was about the ‘Remontada’ and how 90 minutes is long in the Bernabeu.
Well, Mikel Arteta’s young guns weren’t over-roared. Far from it. While Bukayo Saka may have missed an early penalty, his deft chipped finish in the second half, as well as Gabriel Martinelli’s last-gasp breakaway goal, handed Arsenal a 2-1 victory on the night and a mighty 5-1 victory on aggregate. Now, the record champions have been dumped out, but for the Gunners, all roads lead to Munich.
With our final four now set in stone, let’s take a look at the updated UEFA Champions League betting odds and who the bookies feel will emerge with the trophy at the Allianz Arena on May 31st.
Barcelona
Barcelona can consider themselves somewhat lucky to have made it to the semifinals, but that hasn’t deterred online betting websites. The popular Bovada website currently makes the Blaugrana a narrow 2/1 favorite to win the Champions League this term, and if they can live up to the billing, it will be their first triumph in a decade. But if their quarter-final second leg against Borussia Dortmund is anything to go by, the Catalonians might not be as fearsome as the betting odds suggest.
A 4-0 victory against the Germans in the first leg at the Olympic Stadium was the result that everyone expected, but in the second leg, it was a different story entirely. Die Schwarzgelben battered Barcelona from pillar to post, taking the lead through Serhou Guirassy in the first half before the Guinean striker added a second after the break. An untimely Ramy Bensebaini own goal curtailed any hopes of a Dortmund comeback, but they did add a third late on as Guirassy completed his hat-trick and a 3-1 victory.
Now, Barca face Inter Milan in the semifinals in an epic rematch of their clash at the same stage back in 2010. Back then, Jose Mourinho led the Nerazzurri to victory, and current boss Simeone Inzaghi will be feeling like he can do the same.
Paris Saint-Germain
Next up, we have Arsenal’s semi-final opponents, Paris Saint-Germain, who the bookies make a 9/4 second favorite. Former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique seems to have finally crafted a team at the Parc Des Princes, rather than relying on individual brilliance. The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi have all been and gone without delivering the one trophy that the club’s Qatari owners so desperately crave. Now, a younger and hungrier crop of talent stands on the brink of greatness.
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The Parisians are led by Ousmane Dembele, a man who finally seems to have come of age following that ill-fated move to Barcelona eight years ago. Now playing centrally rather than on the flank, he has bagged 32 goals in 42 appearances this season and is the favorite to win the Ballon d’Or. With support from January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and teenage prodigy Désiré Doué, there is real hope that Luis Enrique can bring the famous big-eared trophy to the French capital for the first time ever.
Arsenal
Narrowly behind their semi-final opponents, PSG, in the betting charts come Arsenal, with the bookies pricing them at 5/2 to go all the way. And as the tiny difference in pricing between the two opponents suggests, oddsmakers make it pretty much a genuine 50/50 as to who will progress to the final.
After a disappointing Premier League campaign, one could be forgiven for thinking that the Gunners’ continental run would end up fizzling out in the same fashion. However, the stunning quarter-final victory against Real Madrid has brought Mikel Arteta’s side to the big time, and both the Parisians and the tournament favorites, Barcelona, won’t want to play against the North London side.
Even without a recognized striker, the Gunners have proven that they are a match for anyone on the continental stage. The return of Bukayo Saka couldn’t have come at a better time, and if his destruction of Real Madrid defender David Alaba is anything to go by, the young English winger is better than ever. Vice-captain Gabriel Magalhães should be back in time for the semifinals, and that will be a huge boost for a Gunners side looking to reach a first final in 19 years.
Inter Milan
Finally, we come to Inter Milan, the team that the bookies make the 9/2 outsiders for glory… and they look pretty exciting. Not only has Simone Inzaghi’s side reached the Champions League final more recently than any other team, ultimately losing to Manchester City in Istanbul two years ago, but they are also a team full of powerhouses.
Yann Sommer, Alessandro Bastoni, and Nicola Barella make up one of the strongest spines of a team remaining in the competition, while captain and talisman Lautaro Martinez is as prolific as they come. Inter won’t be afraid of Barcelona in the semifinals – far from it. They will be up for the task of downing the Blaugrana once again, and if they do that, they won’t be satisfied unless they leave Munich with the trophy.
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