UEFA Champions League: Semi-final first leg preview

Places in the UEFA Champions League final are up for grabs when the semi-finals get underway in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

After defeating Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, Arsenal now face another massive test when they take on Paris Saint-Germain.

The Gunners can be backed at 3.50 to go on and win the UEFA Champions League, while PSG are available at 3.25.

 Then on Thursday, Barcelona, who are 3.00 to win Europe’s elite tournament, take on 5.50 Inter Milan in the first leg of their semi-final.

Let’s take a closer look at the two UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Arsenal v Paris Saint-Germain

Arsenal pulled off a big shock when they knocked out the mighty Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, so should head into the clash full of confidence.

They destroyed holders Real 3-0 at the Arsenal Stadium and will look to build up another healthy lead to take to Paris for the second leg.

England midfielder Declan Rice scored two stunning free-kicks in the victory in the English capital and can be backed at 2.75 to score at anytime against PSG.

Arsenal also have a great record against PSG, and are unbeaten in the last five meetings, winning three and drawing two.

The two sides met at the Arsenal Stadium during the League Phase, with the Gunners winning the game 2-0.

PSG had a scare in England in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League when losing the second leg 3-2 against Aston Villa.

Fortunately for them they had won 3-1 in Paris and did enough to go through on aggregate.

Under and over 2.5 goals in the game can both be backed at 1.90.

Nuno Mendes scored in both legs of the quarter-final and is priced at 5.00 to keep that run going by scoring at anytime.

Barcelona v Inter Milan

Barcelona did all the hard work in first leg of their quarter final, thrashing Borussia Dortmund 4-0 before losing the second leg 3-1.

"Home" advantage is crucial as a packed-out Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys will make it a very hostile for Inter Milan.

Out of the 12 meetings between the two sides, Barca have won six of them, suffering two defeats, while the other four ended in draws.

However, Inter have shown they can get the job done on Barcelona, winning the semi-final in 2009/10 3-2 on aggregate.

If Barca are to progress they will have to break down one of the best defences in Europe.

Inter may not score many goals, 19 compared to Barcelona’s 37 in the tournament this season, but they have conceded just five.

Under 2.5 goals on Thursday is available at 2.37, while over 2.5 goals is 1.57.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.