Champions League Semi Finals Second Leg Previews

Last week we reviewed the first leg in the Champions League semi-finals, and this week we now take a look ahead to what promises to be two exciting second leg ties on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

But first, let us take a look at how each tie is set as we head into the crucial second legs of both matches. 

First Leg Results & Recaps

We saw two very different semi-finals last week and chances are we may well see two contrasting games again this coming week.

Paris St. Germain 5-4 Bayern Munich

A truly incredible game of football in Paris saw nine goals, breathtaking attacking football and two teams who produced a modern classic. The highest-scoring Champions League semi-final first leg in modern times was a breathless encounter which genuinely could have finished almost any scoreline.

Bayern went in front through a Harry Kane penalty, but two fabulous strikers from Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Joao Neves put PSG 2-1 up. Michael Olise then made it 2-2, before PSG were awarded a penalty just before halftime which Ousmane Dembele slotted home. 

PSG then seemed to take a stranglehold on the first leg when Kvaratskhelia and then Dembele scored twice in the space of three minutes at the start of the second half, putting PSG 5-2 up. However back came Bayern with Upemecano heading home a free kick before Luis Diaz pulled another goal back to make it 5-4. 

Suffice to say the second leg in Munich is eagerly anticipated by all football fans this week.

Atletico Madrid 1-1 Arsenal

If the first semi-final was a feast of attacking football, this match up was far more tactical. In the end it was a tale of three penalties, two given and one not, that defined the outcome of the first leg in Madrid.

A tight first half saw Arsenal handed the lead when Atletico conceded a penalty and Viktor Gyokeres confidently despatched the kick past Jan Oblak. However, early in the second half Atletico found an equaliser from the penalty spot when Gabriel was judged to have handled the ball, somewhat harshly, and Julian Alvarez slotted the spot kick home.

Late on there was more drama when the referee awarded Arsenal another penalty, only for VAR to intervene and instruct the referee to look again at the footage, which then saw him overrule his initial decision 

That leaves this tie delicately poised ahead of the second leg at the Emirates this week.

Second Leg Previews

Tuesday 5th May

Arsenal (1) v (1) Atletico Madrid

Can Arsenal put behind their their recent struggles and earn a place in the Champions League final for a second time? Atletico will start this game as the underdogs but showed in the first leg that they have the determination to cause an upset, embodied by their manager Diego Simeone.

After the first leg though, Arsenal should be confident of getting the job done at home, The Gunners had more of the ball against the Spaniards and did look the most likely to score a second goal in the Wanda Metropolitano last week. 

Our Prediction – Arsenal 2-1 Atletico Madrid (3-2 on aggregate)

Wednesday 6th May

Bayern Munich (4) v (5) Paris St. Germain

After the incredible drama in Paris last week, can this second leg live up to the first? With both teams unlikely to markedly change their approach for this second leg, we could be set for another classic at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night.

However, trailing by a goal and at home, Bayern will know that they can ill-afford to concede the first goal in this game. So I expect to see them more proactive here. PSG though will be hugely dangerous on the counter attack and as such, what the score of this game will be could be anyones guess. 

Our Prediction – Bayern Munich 3-2 Paris St. Germain (7-7 on aggregate) – Bayern to win 5-4 on penalties.