With the decisive Champions League quarter-finals second legs in sight, the stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to European football’s premier club competition. Arsenal, buoyed by a commanding first-leg win over Real Madrid will be looking to withstand the pressure they come under at the Bernabeu. Barcelona remain unbeaten in 2025 and will be aiming to maintain their dominance over Borussia Dortmund. Aston Villa are 3-1 own to Paris Saint-Germain, with work to do at Villa Park, while Bayern Munich mist also come from behind to keep their Champions League dreams alive. Each tie is finely poised, with twists and turns to come.
Tuesday, April 15
Aston Villa vs PSG (1-3)
Most people will have expected PSG to triumph in the first leg, so they will have been surprised when Unai Emery’s side took the lead through Morgan Rogers on 35 minutes. However, PSG hit back, with Desire Doue equalising four minutes later. Kvicha Kvaratskhelia then put the Ligue 1 champions ahead, with Nuno Mendes adding a third in stoppage time. Despite their loss, Villa put in a commendable performance.
As expected, PSG start as favourites in Aston Villa vs Paris Saint-Germain, with Luis Enrique’s team two goals to the good. This represents the ultimate challenge for Villa, with a two-goal deficit to make up. Villa Park has been a fortress for the Villains in recent seasons, so all hope itsn’t lost. Villa’s players know they can score against PSG, but they will need to do so and keep PSG out. Expect PSG to make the semis.
Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona (0-4)
Barcelona were quite rightfully favourites at Camp Nou to defeat Borussia Dortmund, but there won’t have been many who expected them to triumph in such commanding fashion. The final score was 4-0, with goals from Raphinha, a double from former Dortmund striker Lewandowski, and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. Everything went right for Barca and wrong for Dortmund, and it’s impossible to see how the latter recover in the second leg.
With Dortmund 4-0 down, the favourites to win the second leg and to qualify for the semi-finals in Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona is, of course, Hansi Flick’s side. The task ahead for Dortmund is seriously daunting. On the one hand, do they attack and try and get back into the tie, knowing they will leave themselves vulnerable? Do they play for pride and look not to take another heavy defeat? Maybe there will be hope that Flick makes a lot of changes, believing his side are already through.
Wednesday, April 16
Inter Milan vs Bayern Munich (2-1)
Bayern Munich were at home in the first leg, and it was expected they’d secure a victory to take with them into the second leg at the San Siro. However, Bayern’s plans were ruined when Lautaro Martinez put Inter ahead after a clever Marcus Thuram assist. While Bayern equalised via the soon-to-depart Thomas Muller after he came off the bench to level on 85 minutes, Davide Frattesi netted the winner three minutes later, with the Italians taking a 2-1 lead into the second leg.
Even though Inter are the home team, they’re not the favourites to win in Inter vs Bayern Munich, with the expectation being that the German giants will be victorious, which should see them advance. However, they are a goal down, and Inter are strong at the back. Yes, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany has plenty of attacking talent at his disposal, but he’s also missing key players such as Alphonso Davies, so this won’t be straightforward. This tie could be decided by which team scores the first goal in the second leg.
Real Madrid vs Arsenal (0-3)
Perhaps the surprise result in the first legs was Arsenal’s 3-0 home victory over Real Madrid. The Spanish outfit were put to the sword by midfielder Declan Rice, who scored two exceptional free-kicks. Makeshift striker Mikel Merino added a third goal after good work from Myles Lewis-Skelly. Real missed chances on a night they will be eager to forget. Their chances of turning the game around in the second leg weren’t helped by Eduardo Camavinga’s sending-off in stoppage time.
It’s to be expected that Real Madrid vs Arsenal is a match that most see the home team as the favourites in, but to make it through to the semis, it’s hard to look past Arsenal with their three goal advantage. Yes, Real Madrid have the attacking talent that can quickly turn this game around, with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Jude Bellingham set to be crucial. But after Arsenal’s display at the Emirates, it’s hard to see them giving up three goals without reply.
The Semi-Finals
The semi-finals in the 2024/25 Champions League will be played on April 29 & 30 (first legs) and May 6 &7 (second legs), with the final set for May 31 at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.
Here’s the draw for the semi-finals:
- Semi-final 1: The winner of Arsenal vs Real Madrid will take on the victor of Paris Saint-Germain vs Aston Villa.
- Semi-final 2: The winner of Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund will play the victor of Inter vs Bayern Munich.
In the first legs of the quarters, Arsenal secured a 3-0 advantage over Real Madrid at The Emirates, while Paris Siant-Germain came from a goal down to defeat Aston Villa 3-1. The likely semi-final fixture here is Arsenal vs Apris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona dominated Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, with the 4-0 final score a reflection of this. Inter edged out Bayern Munich 2-1 away from home, giving them something to defend in the second leg. While Barcelona are essentially through, Bayern could still find a way past Inter, so it’s too tough to call. It will be Barcelona vs Inter/Bayern.
Following the quarter-final first legs being played, Barcelona are now favourites to win the tournament according to Champions League winner betting. Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are also seen as being in the running, and they will likely meet in the semi-finals.
Final Thoughts
Football never fails to surprise, and this has been the case with the Champions League this season. It’s the first Champions League campaign using the new format, and it’s worked well. As always, there have been shocks, twists, and turns along the way, with Aston Villa one of the surprise packages this season. Whether they can advance to the semi-finals remains to be seen.
Usually, it’s Real Madrid who do well in the Champions League, and Paris Saint-Germain seem to falter. However, the former are 3-0 down heading into the second leg against Arsenal, while the latter are two goals to the good heading to Villa Park after a 3-1 win over Unai Emery’s side.
Could this finally be the year that PSG achieve their dream and win the Champions League? Or, will Arsenal put their Premier League disappointment to the side by finally lifting the Champions League trophy? It’s all to play for in the second legs, with places in the semis up for grabs.
