- 4/30/2025
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00:00After 14 matchdays, the final four have emerged.
00:07Substantial first leg victories were enough to see Barcelona and PSG through in the quarter-finals.
00:13Arsenal showed their mettle in Madrid, while Inter were helped over the line by a former Bayern man.
00:20And what a header from Pavard!
00:22Two games away from the final in Munich, the stakes couldn't be much higher.
00:27Welcome to the UEFA Champions League Highlight Show.
00:31Coming up, Arsenal and PSG head-to-head, both intent on reaching their second UCL final.
00:38Then on Wednesday, a fascinating match-up between the competition's top scorers Barcelona and Inter,
00:45the side with the fewest goals conceded this season.
00:49But Tuesday night was all about events in North London.
00:57Arsenal demonstrated their credentials with impressive victories home and away against Real Madrid.
01:04Declan Rice stunned the 15-time winners with two delectable free-kicks to send the home fans into dreamland,
01:10before Mikel Moreno added the gloss to a stunning performance.
01:15In Madrid, Bukaya Saka's penalty was saved.
01:19But the England international then made amends by opening the scoring,
01:23before Gabriel Martinelli sealed a 2-1 win on the night, a 5-1 victory on aggregate.
01:31PSG's road to the semis was rather more dramatic.
01:34Aston Villa took a first leg lead against the run of play on French soil,
01:38before the Parisians responded with three goals of the highest quality.
01:46The Ligue 1 champions extended their lead with two more goals inside the first half-hour in Birmingham.
01:52That looked to be that.
01:54But Unai Emery's men rallied, scoring three times to leave Villa apart,
01:59walking at the prospect of one of the great all-time European comebacks.
02:03The villains couldn't capitalise on late chances, though,
02:07allowing PSG to hold on for a 5-4.
02:10Paris knocked out Liverpool prior to their success against Aston Villa,
02:21but back in October they lost 2-0 at Arsenal in the league phase.
02:25Now the Gunners, unbeaten in eight matches at this level,
02:28and contesting their 100th home game proper in the competition,
02:32aimed for a repeat performance.
02:34The French side had lost all three of their previous UCL semi-final away legs without scoring,
02:39and had failed to beat Arsenal in five games.
02:43No other side has built up that good a record against them.
02:47It promised to be an enticing encounter,
02:49and was watched for us by Sue Smith and Steve Wilson.
02:55Let's have a look at Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side.
02:58One change to the XI which started the second leg of the epic quarter-final victory over Real Madrid.
03:04That's Leandro Trossard who comes into the side.
03:08Thomas Partey is suspended.
03:10That means Mikel Moreno will drop into the midfield three with Trossard between Saka and Martinelli.
03:18It's a very youthful Arsenal bench in the main,
03:22though there is the possibilities of Tierney and Sterling and Warneri,
03:28who is a very handy substitute to have the teenager.
03:32So let's look at Paris.
03:35Their boss, Luis Enrique, also makes one change to the XI which last played in the Champions League.
03:41That was getting past Aston Villa in the last eight,
03:43despite a defeat in the Midlands of England in the second leg.
03:47Desiree Due is in for Bradley Barcola.
03:50They have just been sensational in 2025,
03:53although with Ligue 1 since 1,
03:56they did suffer a first league defeat of the season at the weekend at the hands of Nice.
04:03So much respect between the two Spanish coaches.
04:11And there will be a moment of silence at both the Champions League matches this week
04:17in memory of Pope Francis, whose loss so deeply felt around the world.
04:23Slavko Vincic blows his whistle and the Champions of France get this game underway.
04:40How important, Sue Smith, the first ten minutes to settle into the occasion?
04:45Oh, it is for both sides.
04:47I think Mikel Arteta has obviously asked the Arsenal fans to really create an atmosphere already.
04:52you can hear that, but yeah, it's just about playing your way into the game.
05:02All right, Scalier here, nicely found.
05:05Timber with his eyes laser-focused on the ball,
05:08and Paris Saint-Germain have the lead,
05:10and Dembele has scored after only three minutes' play.
05:14It's a brilliant finish by Dembele.
05:17There is nobody hotter in world football than Ousmane Dembele.
05:26And Paris Saint-Germain are in front.
05:29Paris lead.
05:30That's exactly the start, isn't it, that Paris Saint-Germain would have wanted.
05:34This is what Dembele does.
05:35He'll drop into those midfield positions, starts the playoff.
05:39Cavuskelia, once he gets 1v1, wants to beat his man.
05:42You know he can go inside and outside, but it's just a lovely little pullback to Dembele.
05:47He continues his run, he just stops.
05:49Nobody's anywhere around him and just looks for that far corner.
05:52It's difficult for David Rea to see and get anything on.
05:55It goes through quite a body of players.
05:58Brilliant start for Paris Saint-Germain, exactly what they would have wanted.
06:03Ousmane Dembele, his 33rd goal of the season.
06:07He had actually gone three games without scoring.
06:12After a run of hitting 24 in the previous 18 games.
06:17Paris Saint-Germain have started very brightly indeed.
06:25Here's Dembele.
06:27Fabian Ruiz helping it on to Clare Scalia.
06:33Three around him and he wriggles through and goes down.
06:35No penalty.
06:39Slavko Vincic immediately saying no.
06:41It will be checked by the video assistant referee Alan Borosak.
06:47There's an arm round, isn't there, but I don't think there's enough.
06:51I think it was a good call by the referee.
06:53The skill is brilliant.
06:55He's got to be careful, Timber, by putting your arm across like that,
06:58but it's just probably not enough.
07:00He's maybe looking to go down.
07:02Yeah, he just takes his arm away in time.
07:05Look at the position of the referee, Slavko Vincic.
07:07He could not be in a better position.
07:10Brilliant.
07:15Hakimi charging forward.
07:17And Hakimi has done really well here.
07:19Got the better at Kivio.
07:20Joao Neves.
07:23Quarizcalia.
07:24Quarizcalia!
07:25Took a little deflection that, you know, off Timber.
07:27I think it's a decent save.
07:28Yeah, I think he is.
07:29He's got to react.
07:30You can see Timber, yeah, it does.
07:32Takes that deflection.
07:34Arsene Wenger watching on.
07:37One of the greatest Arsenal managers.
07:41And one of the great figures of French football.
07:43One of the most influential people in the modern history of English football.
07:47Lovely ball, Jean Neves.
07:48This could be dangerous.
07:49Dembele with Saliba.
07:50A little flick off Merino.
07:51It's Due.
07:52Good save.
07:53And on the return, it's Fabian Ruiz.
07:54Who hits the post.
07:55And Arsenal get away with it.
07:56And the flag now goes up.
08:00Well, what a brilliant save.
08:02From David Rea.
08:03This could be so important.
08:04It's fortuitous how it falls to Due.
08:05But it just takes a couple of touches onto his right foot.
08:06Brilliant save.
08:07And he manages to get it away as well from Neves coming in.
08:08And he's going to get away with it.
08:09It's due.
08:10And it's due.
08:11It's due.
08:12Good save.
08:13And on the return, it's Fabian Ruiz.
08:14And on the return, it's Fabian Ruiz.
08:15Who hits the post.
08:16And Arsenal get away with it.
08:17And the flag now goes up.
08:18What a brilliant save.
08:19From David Rea.
08:20This could be so important.
08:21It's fortuitous how it falls to Due.
08:22But just takes a couple of touches onto his right foot.
08:26Brilliant save.
08:27And he manages to get it away as well from Neves coming in.
08:33And that was the offside.
08:35But such a talented young man.
08:38Due.
08:39Good save at full stretch.
08:41Yeah, Fabian Ruiz got involved standing in an offside position.
08:44But the Due shot would certainly have counted.
08:50Well, Hakimi with a slip.
08:52This is dangerous.
08:53Is that a foul?
08:54Drown Neves.
08:55Well, the referee, Sladko Vincic says not.
08:58Mikel Moreno.
09:03An Arsenal save penalty.
09:06The referee's initial reaction was to wave it away.
09:09This has got to be a penalty, Steve.
09:11I'd like to see it again.
09:13As the ball comes in, it just looks like they go straight through the back.
09:16Oh, no, he doesn't.
09:17He kicks the floor.
09:18I think it's another really good call from the referee.
09:21Can we see it better from this angle?
09:23He's got the ball, hasn't he?
09:25Yeah.
09:26First contact is with the ball.
09:28Yeah.
09:29Just so well.
09:38William Pacho.
09:40Oh, and he's let it get away from him.
09:42I don't think he realised that he had two on him.
09:44Martinelli got there first.
09:46Saka touching it.
09:47Marino.
09:48Trossard.
09:54Saka.
10:00Saka again wriggling.
10:02And scooping to Martinelli who can't quite reach it.
10:06Oh, by a long, long way, Arsenal's best opportunity of the game.
10:10That's brilliant from Saka.
10:12That's exactly what we said.
10:13Get him involved.
10:14He's got the ability to do this.
10:16Lovely little change.
10:17Was he slightly offside?
10:19I think he was, wasn't he?
10:20Yeah, I think so.
10:22But superb from Saka.
10:23He's stretching everything Martinelli to get on the end of it,
10:26but I think he would have been offside.
10:36Good play, Lewis Skelly.
10:38Hakeemah needs to be careful now.
10:41It's a brilliant ball.
10:42Martinelli.
10:44Superb save by Donnarumma.
10:47Brilliant save by Joan Luigi Donnarumma.
10:50How many times have we said that during the course of this Champions League season?
10:54Oh, it's a huge save.
10:55We said that Rea made a brilliant save for Arsenal.
10:58How good is that from Miles Lewis Skelly?
11:00Gets himself into those central areas on a regular basis,
11:03but then it's just the quality and the composure to find Martinelli.
11:07You just think should Martinelli score there?
11:10He's in a great position.
11:11He's aiming for that far corner, which is the right thing to do,
11:14but just can't get enough into the corner.
11:17And the referee, Slavko Vincic, blows his whistle on an absolutely engrossing first 45 minutes,
11:30in which Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal as early as the fourth minute of the game.
11:35And Paris were absolutely dominant in the first half of the first half,
11:40but Arsenal roared back.
11:42And Luis Enrique grateful to Donnarumma for keeping them in front.
11:47Half-time, Arsenal 0, Paris Saint-Germain 1.
11:51So, Ousmane, the main man early on for PSG.
11:57Frustration for Arsenal, but a long way to go with only a quarter of the tie played.
12:02The second half is next.
12:04Welcome back.
12:05So much hope and expectation in North London on a sultry spring evening.
12:09But it was PSG with a spring in their step less than four minutes in
12:13when Ousmane Dembele cracked home his 33rd goal of the season in all competitions.
12:18Encouraging signs for Arsenal as the half developed,
12:21but Mikel Arteta's men had much to do heading into the second half
12:24with commentary from Sue Smith and Steve Wilson.
12:31It's Arsenal who will get the second half underway.
12:40Get headed by Jaume Neves who has collided with Mikel Moreno here
12:45and the referee has awarded Arsenal a free kick.
12:48And set pieces were a real source of joy for Arsenal.
12:53Well, not joy, that might be over-egging it,
12:56but certainly a source of encouragement for Arsenal in the first half.
13:00Yeah, we know that Arsenal are very good at set pieces,
13:03so they will certainly look at this as an opportunity.
13:07An early goal for Arsenal in the second half is what these home supporters crave.
13:11Declan Rice with the curling ball into the area.
13:15It's in!
13:18Mikel Moreno gets his head on it
13:20and Arsenal are level right at the start of the second period.
13:25Another Declan Rice free kick, bit different from Real Madrid.
13:28It's an assist, not a goal, but it's 1-1.
13:31What a start for Arsenal.
13:32It's exactly what they would have wanted.
13:34Moreno will get the plaudits and rightly so.
13:37It's a really brave header.
13:38He gets up and heads it downwards,
13:40but it's all about the delivery for me.
13:42Declan Rice absolutely puts it on his head.
13:47Brilliant header right into that bottom corner.
13:49What a start.
13:50And just wondering here whether he was on or offside, however,
13:55there is a check going on.
13:57As Declan Rice made contact with that ball,
14:00it's about whether Mikel Moreno was the wrong side of the Paris defensive line or not.
14:07Let's have a look.
14:09It looks like they're in line.
14:13Kurt Scalier may just have been playing him on.
14:16Looked like a really good line, but it's difficult for us to see from our angle.
14:22Can't really second guess it. Here we go.
14:28It's no goal.
14:31It's offside.
14:34Well, it was hugely tight.
14:39That's how tight it is.
14:41Well, the semi-automated offside system does its job.
14:45Mikel Moreno is in an offside position.
14:48It remains Arsenal nil.
14:50Paris one.
14:53Arsenal need to try and create chaos and Paris need to try and avoid it.
15:06Dembele.
15:08Fabian Ruiz used his body well.
15:10Hakimi and his route is just blocked off by Kivio.
15:16I think Arsenal's Polish central defender deserves a mention too.
15:19Because, you know, Gabriel's injury was so ill-timed in their aspirations for the season.
15:26Kivio not played a lot of football since he joined the club, but actually he's been solid since he's been called upon.
15:33Yeah, he really has and...
15:36Hold on, what a run by Rice.
15:38Trossard here.
15:39Trossard!
15:41And Donnarumma does it again.
15:43It's another brilliant save from Donnarumma, but this is what Arsenal need, those driving runs from Declan Rice.
15:53Because he's playing a little bit deeper, we've not seen as much of that.
15:55But he drives forward and then just the right weight of pass to Trossard.
16:01What a touch from Donnarumma.
16:03Again, it's what you want your striker to do, go across goal.
16:07But he's got such a big frame, Donnarumma, and another top save.
16:12Well kept in, but the effort of doing so from Timberman, he couldn't control the head as an attempt to lob David Reier, which is...
16:33Well off target from crowd scheme.
16:36You know, he's got the ability and vision to do that, he just sees David Reier slightly off his line.
16:55Bukayo Saka.
16:56Saka!
16:59Saka!
17:01Saka!
17:03Saka!
17:05Saka!
17:07A little nibble there, Donnarumma again!
17:10Saka went to the near post.
17:13Donnarumma went down and made the save, but the flag I think has gone up on the far side, wouldn't count it.
17:18It's clever from Saka though, he tried to do something slightly different.
17:21Just straight offside.
17:22it's just straight offside but as the ball comes back to saka this is brilliant lovely
17:26quick feet and he just thinks instead of going across the goalkeeper i'm just gonna try and
17:30catch him out as near post but there's no catching donna when we're out tonight
17:40oh that cannon off an arsenal player gonzalo ramos is off after this
17:44it's barkola for paris saint-germain and it's over the top from joe neves and that is a real
17:51let off for arsenal yeah sloppy from arsenal and straight away paris saint-germain
17:57straight to attack brilliant there just a little layoff to barkola and just expect him to hit the
18:03target just leans back gets underneath it and over the bar it was killio's attempted clearance which
18:10cannoned into uh michael marina
18:21marquinez
18:26barcola
18:29gonzalo ramos back into bradley barcola
18:31in on goal and wide of the post and that's an enormous let off for arsenal because if they go to
18:39paris one nil down it's difficult to go to paris two nil down it's nigh on impossible this is brilliant
18:45though i think he's just on side i don't know if it's ben white maybe playing him on
18:50barcola does so well him and ramos link but it's the movement it's the way that they they're so slick
18:56in that so slick in the passing in the movement and it's just the finish that barcola can't get right
19:02everything else was brilliant
19:07monquinos over the top and the flag has stayed down gonzalo ramos here and he's hit the woodwork
19:13well twice in the space of two or three minutes
19:19well you said how effective he can be and again it would be really tight
19:26but what a touch this is knows exactly where the goalkeeper is and
19:30just tries to toe poke it doesn't he over the top of rea if you just watch it there
19:36go straight over the top so unlucky but what a touch and what a run
19:44three minutes to go
20:00vitina had it taken away from him truss over the back heel roneri martinelli high and wide
20:07well roneri nearly did do something special yeah he did it was nicked brilliantly here by declan rice
20:14could have given the foul but couldn't get shot on target martinelli
20:24well they came with such great expectations such high hopes
20:30and arsenal may yet reach the champions league final but if they are to do so
20:35they will have to go and beat paris saint-germain in the part des pranks and that
20:42is a tall order it is i don't think they'll be intimidated though with that i think they'll have
20:47the belief that they can go and do that they created opportunities against paris saint-germain
20:51but we've just seen what a top quality side they are both on and off the ball and certainly going
20:57to be a tough ask paris saint-germain will go into the second leg as favorites with an advantage
21:04given to them by usman dembele in only the fourth minute of the game arsenal will look back on
21:11some chances that got away some saves from donnarumma paris saint-germain will point out
21:16that they could have added to their lead late on through parcola and gonzalo ramos the second leg
21:22promises to be every bit as good paris have won this one as it's finished arsenal nil paris saint-germain
21:29won
21:34well arsenal have never won a european tie after losing the first leg at home and only ajax and
21:40tottenham hotspur have managed to do it in a european cup semi-final however the gunners did show what
21:46they can do on the road in madrid recently on wednesday evening five-time winners barcelona host
21:52three-time champions inter in the first leg of their semi-final barca have never lost at home to
21:58the italians in six encounters
22:03they scored early from a reliable source defended resolutely with their giant keeper a formidable
22:09presence and may yet rue missed opportunities to increase their lead the advantage is with psg
22:16but as both managers know this tie is far from
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