And then there were four: the inside line on Champions League semi-finalists
Arsenal are aiming to reach a first Champions League final in 20 years. Pic: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
And then there were four. The Champions League has reached its semi-final stage as defending champions PSG, German giants Bayern Munich, Spanish powerhouse Atletico Madrid and Premier League leaders Arsenal chase European glory.
Ahead of the final-four showdown, we preview the teams and the state of play in the build up to the first leg clashes.
: A 3-0 win at Angers at the weekend made it eight wins from PSG’s last nine in all competitions. The Parisian side are now six points clear at the top of Ligue 1 with four games to go.
: Last season’s Champions League winners are looking to complete a rare feat and successfully defend their crown. The 2025 champions previously made the final in 2020, ultimately falling to semi-final opponents Bayern Munich at the Estadio Luz, and are seeking a third final in six years.
Georgian sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia comes into the meeting with Bayern in great form. The 25-year-old, who was rested for the 3-0 win over Angers, has been directly involved in a goal in six of his last seven PSG outings, totalling seven goals and three assists.
Who's not: A second half red card encapsulated Goncalo Ramos’ season. The Portuguese striker has struck just once in his last seven appearances of Luis Enrique’s side.
: Desire Doue and Nuno Mendes recently returned to first-team duties having been withdrawn in the quarter-final second leg win at Liverpool. Fabian Ruiz also came through the Angers triumph unscathed having played 45 minutes following a two-month absence and is set to start.
There do remain questions marks over Vitinha, who was training separately ahead of Saturday’s victory.
: Luis Enrique is pursuing a third Champions League triumph as a manager, and to lift Europe’s elite trophy for the second time since taking over as PSG boss in 2023. The Spaniard has a solid managerial CV, including stints with Roma, Barcelona and Spain.
: Enrique’s primary conundrum comes in the middle of the park. The PSG team largely picks itself but the potential absence of tempo-setter Vitinha hinders their chances of maximising home advantage. Beraldo may deputise at the base in a 4-3-3 setup should the Portuguese pass-master miss out.
No team has committed more errors leading to an opposition goal than PSG (6) in the Champions League his season.
: Bayern Munich extended their winning run to eight matches as they came from three goals down to beat Mainz 05 4-3 at the weekend. Vincent Kompany’s Bavarian bruisers are now unbeaten in 19 matches in all competitions as they hunt down the treble.
Bayern are seeking to win the European cup for the seventh time, but just their third since the Champions League’s 1992 inception. FC Hollywood last lifted the trophy in 2020, defeating upcoming opponents PSG 1-0 in Lisbon in the COVID-hit campaign.
Once again, it’s impossible to overlook Harry Kane here. Kane’s winning goal at Mainz on Saturday means the England captain has scored in 14 of his last 15 Bayern outings, and all but three of 20 competitive appearances in 2026.
In truth, every Bayern player is in good form at this time. However, Canadian Alphonso Davies is struggling to consolidate a starting spot following his return to first-team duties. Head coach Vincent Kompany seems to favour Konrad Laimer at left-back at this point in time.
Kompany is the biggest absence for Bayern Munich. The Belgian boss is suspended for the first-leg trip to Paris having received his third yellow of the Champions League of the competition against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. Serge Gnabry continues to miss out, with Jamal Musiala set to start in the number 10 role, while fellow Germans Sven Ulreich and Tom Bischof are absent. Teenager Lennart Karl is in the final stages of recovery from a thigh problem and can’t be ruled out just yet.
: Coming to the end of his second season at the Allianz Arena helm, Kompany has excelled since swapping Burnley for Bavaria in 2024. He just needs to add the Champions League to cement his legacy in Munich.
Selection headaches: Having started key stars on the bench against Mainz, Kompany’s main issue is who features at left-back. Laimer has proven a solid stand-in for Davies in the Champions League this season.
Bayern’s Michael Olise has made more accurate through balls (8) than any other player in the Champions League this season.
Formline: It’s not been plain sailing for Atletico Madrid in recent weeks. A recent 3-2 win over Athletic Club ended a four-game losing run, which included a Copa Del Rey final loss to Real Sociedad. In all, they have lost seven of their last nine, which hardly bodes well.
Champions League pedigree: Champions League regulars since 2013, Atletico Madrid have twice been the bridesmaid, but never the bride. That both final defeats in 2014 and 2016 came at the hands of arch-rivals Real Madrid is a bitter pill to swallow.
After being rested completely for the 3-2 win over Athletic Club, Julian Alvarez should be ready and raring to go for the semi-final meeting with Arsenal. The Argentine has been directly involved in a goal in five of his last six Atletico starts.
It’s just as well because Antoine Griezmann is struggling for form in the final knockings of his Atletico career. The French forward, who will join Orlando City later this year, has scored just once in his last nine club outings.
: Pablo Barrios lasted just an hour of Atletico’s 3-2 win over Athletic Club having suffered a thigh problem in the narrow home triumph. The 22-year-old’s absence is a huge blow for Los Colchoneros. Jose Maria Gimenez also misses out. Additionally, Diego Simeone is sweating on the fitness of Ademola Lookman, who was forced off during the Copa Del Rey final loss to Real Sociedad.
Since a number of roles in Argentina, Diego Simeone returned to Atletico Madrid in 2011. The former midfielder has become synonymous with the Madrid giants, guiding Atleti to two La Liga and two Europa League titles in 14-and-a-half years.
Simeone must decide whether to opt for the experience of Griezmann or the returning Alexander Sorloth to partner Alvarez on the frontline against Arsenal. Marcos Llorente and Johnny Cardoso are pushing to deputise for Barrios alongside Koke in the middle of the park.
Atletico have scored more set-piece goals (10) than any other team in the Champions League this season.
Arsenal ended a testing spell with a 1-0 win over Newcastle to leapfrog Manchester City to the top of the Premier League table. Victory over the Magpies was just the Gunners’ second in their last seven in all competitions, a run that includes an EFL Cup final defeat to City and a 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final loss to Southampton.
Having reached the 2006 final, only to lose to Barcelona, the closest Arsenal have come to Champions League glory in the years since is two semi-final appearances in 2009 and 2025. They spent the bulk of the 2010s failing to make it beyond the round-of-16.
Despite Arsenal’s downturn in form, Kai Havertz has been a shining light in a dreary run, so his likely absence this week is a blow. The German returned to domestic duties with a bang, directly contributing to a goal in four of his six Arsenal appearances following the international break.
Martin Zubimendi started life in north London well enough, but has gone off the boil in recent weeks. The Spaniard’s dip coincided with Arsenal’s drop as the tempo-setter started to struggle to dictate the play in a key area.
: Mikel Arteta will hope to have both Havertz and Eberechi Eze available for selection on Wednesday after both came off in the 1-0 win over Newcastle. Zubimendi, meanwhile, was struggling due to illness, though should be fine. Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori face late fitness tests, but Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber sit out the Atletico clash.
Arteta is hoping to guide Arsenal to a first major trophy since the FA Cup triumph in 2020. The Gunners have come close to further silverware in recent years but this Arsenal side have come up short.
Arteta must decide whether to opt for defensive resolve with Piero Hincapie or plump for Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back in Madrid. With concerns over Havertz and Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard may start.
Arsenal are one of four teams yet to concede a counter-attacking goal in the Champions League this season.
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