Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal facts

Paris Saint-Germain hold the upper hand over Arsenal as the teams reconvene at Parc des Princes for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.

Ousmane Dembélé's fourth-minute goal proved enough to settle the first leg in north London on 29 April in favour of the French side, whose first win against Arsenal at the sixth attempt has left them in sight of their second Champions League final.

Paris, who had lost 2-0 at Arsenal on Matchday 2, are bidding to win a third successive tie against Premier League opponents having beaten Liverpool and Aston Villa already in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively. The Gunners, meanwhile, eliminated holders Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, winning 2-1 in the away second leg.

Both clubs are bidding to win the European Cup for the first time. Paris reached their first final in 2020 only to lose 1-0 to Bayern München in Lisbon while Arsenal's sole final appearance ended in a 2-1 defeat by Barcelona at the Stade de France in 2006,

Previous meetings

Matches 6
Paris wins 1
Arsenal wins 2
Draws 3
Paris goals 5
Arsenal goals 7

2024/25 Champions League league phase
Arsenal 2-0 Paris
First-half goals from Kai Havertz (20) and Bukayo Saka (35) gave Arsenal a home win, João Neves's shot deflected onto the crossbar by David Raya in the second half.

2016/17 Champions League group stage
Paris 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-2 Paris
At the Parc des Princes on Matchday 1, Alexis Sánchez equalised for the visitors after Edinson Cavani had scored just 44 seconds in. Marco Verratti and Olivier Giroud were sent off in added time.

Cavani gave Unai Emery's Paris an 18th-minute lead at the Arsenal Stadium on Matchday 5, but Giroud's penalty (45+1) and a Verratti own goal (60) put Arsène Wenger's Gunners in front, only for another own goal, from Alex Iwobi with 13 minutes left, to ensure it finished level again.

1993/94 European Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals
Paris 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-0 Paris
A 1-1 draw in the French capital, in which Ian Wright's first-half goal for an Arsenal side managed by George Graham was cancelled out by David Ginola for Artur Jorge's Paris, set the Gunners up for their aggregate victory, secured by Kevin Campbell's seventh-minute winner in London. Arsenal went on to beat Parma 1-0 in the final.

Form guide

Paris

Record vs English clubs: W12 D9 L15 F47 A51
Home record vs English clubs: W7 D5 L5

This is Paris' eighth game against an English club this season, and a sixth in succession. Beaten 1-0 at home by Liverpool in the round of 16 first leg, they won by the same scoreline at Anfield and ultimately went through 4-1 on penalties. They then ousted Aston Villa 5-4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, winning 3-1 at home and going through despite a 2-3 away defeat in which they let slip a two-goal lead.

The last-16 meeting with Liverpool was Paris' first knockout tie against a team from England since losing 1-4 on aggregate to Manchester City in the 2020/21 semi-finals – a third successive two-legged loss. Their overall record is now W5 L5.

The first-leg victory at Arsenal was one of only five in Paris' last 13 matches against English clubs although their fourth in six; prior to victory at Liverpool they also came from two goals down to beat Manchester City 4-2 at the Parc des Princes on Matchday 7. That 13-game run also features seven defeats, including at Arsenal on Matchday 2.

The win at Arsenal was only Paris' eighth in their last 23 matches against English sides, home and away (D4 L11); despite victories against City and Villa, they have won only four of the last 11 at home (D3 L4).

This is Paris's fifth European Cup semi-final (W1 L3) and a fourth in six seasons. In 2023/24, they lost 0-1 both away and at home against Borussia Dortmund.

Paris have lost six of their eight semi-final matches, the sole success before victory at Arsenal a 3-0 defeat of Leipzig in a one-off tie in Lisbon in August 2020 in which Marquinhos scored their opening goal.

In 2019/20 Paris became the fifth French team to reach the European Cup final, after Reims (1956, 1959), St-Étienne (1976), Marseille (1991, 1993) and Monaco (2004). Of those, only Marseille, in the inaugural Champions League final in 1993, lifted the trophy.

The Parisians would therefore become the third Ligue 1 club to reach multiple finals if they overcome Arsenal.

Fifteenth in this season's league phase, Paris were 10-0 aggregate winners against fellow French side Brest in the knockout phase play-offs before beating Liverpool and Aston Villa.

The Parisians have won 23 of their last 47 European matches (D8 L16), including eight of the last ten (L2). Paris have been victorious in 51 of their last 82 home games (D20 L11), although the 0-1 first-leg defeat by Liverpool in this season's round of 16 is one of ten in their last 32 matches at the Parc des Princes and four in the last nine.

Paris have won 18 of the 19 UEFA competition ties when they recorded a first-leg away victory, most recently against Brest in this season's knockout phase play-offs (3-0 a, 7-0 h). The exception came against Manchester United in the 2018/19 round of 16, a tie they lost on away goals (2-0 a, 1-3 h). Paris have won all five ties in which they recorded a 1-0 away first-leg victory, most recently against Ukraine's Tavriya Simferopol in the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup third round (4-0 h).

Paris' record in two UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W1 L1:
3-4 v Rangers, 2001/02 UEFA Cup third round
4-1 v Liverpool, 2024/25 Champions League round of 16

Arsenal

Record vs French clubs: W17 D8 L6 F49 A25
Away record vs French clubs: W8 D4 L2

The first-leg defeat ended Arsenal's three-match winning run against French clubs, all at home, with 11 goals scored and none conceded. They had beaten Monaco 3-0 on Matchday 6.

Having been unbeaten in their first 12 games away to Ligue 1 sides Arsenal have lost the last two, most recently going down 1-2 at Lens on Matchday 2 last season.

The north London club also lost 1-3 at Rennes in the 2018/19 UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg, a 3-0 home win earning a 4-3 aggregate victory in what was their last knockout tie against Ligue 1 opponents.

That gave Arsenal the record W5 D1 in two-legged knockout ties against French clubs – the exception in the sole previous Champions League tie, an away goals loss to Monaco in the 2014/15 round of 16 (1-3 h, 2-0 a).

This is Arsenal's third European Cup semi-final. They beat Villarreal 1-0 on aggregate in 2005/06 (1-0 h, 0-0 a) but lost 1-4 against Manchester United three seasons later (0-1 a, 1-3 h).

Arsenal would become the sixth English club to reach multiple European Cup finals if they beat Paris.

Having not featured in the Champions League proper between 2016/17 and 2023/24, Arsenal are making their second successive appearance.

Last season Mikel Arteta's side finished first in Group B and then edged past Porto on penalties – their first round of 16 success since 2009/10, also against the Portuguese side – but lost to Bayern in the quarter-finals (2-2 h, 0-1 a).

Third in this season's league phase, Arsenal eased past PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16 (7-1 a, 2-2 h) before ending Madrid's trophy defence (3-0 h, 2-1 a).

Arsenal have won 16 of their last 27 away European matches, losing only six. This season they have drawn at Atalanta (0-0), lost 0-1 at Inter Milan and won at Sporting CP (5-1), Girona (2-1), PSV Eindhoven (7-1) and Real Madrid (2-1).

Arsenal have never overturned a home first-leg defeat in European competition, losing all five ties – most recently against Barcelona in the 2015/16 round of 16 (0-2 h, 1-3 a). This is the first time they have lost 0-1 in the home first leg.

Arsenal's record in six UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W3 L3:
4-5 v Valencia, 1979/80 European Cup Winners' Cup final
3-2 v Sampdoria, 1994/95 Cup Winners' Cup semi-final
1-4 v Galatasaray, 1999/2000 UEFA Cup final
7-6 v Roma, 2008/09 Champions League round of 16
3-5 v Sporting CP, 2022/23 Europa League round of 16
4-2 v Porto, 2023/24 Champions League round of 16

Links and trivia

Arteta scored five goals in 53 appearances for Paris between 2001 and 2002 during an 18-month loan from Barcelona.

Have played together:
Ousmane Dembélé & Neto (Barcelona 2019–22)
Ousmane Dembélé & Mikel Merino (Borussia Dortmund 2016/17)
Achraf Hakimi & Martin Ødegaard (Real Madrid 2015–17)
Lucas Hernández & Thomas Partey (Atlético de Madrid 2012–19)

Have played in France:
William Saliba (St-Étienne 2016–20, Nice 2021 loan, Marseille 2021/22 loan) Gabriel (Troyes 2017/18, LOSC Lille 2018–20)

Has played in England:
Vitinha (Wolverhampton Wanders 2020/21)

International team-mates:
Gianluigi Donnarumma & Jorginho, Riccardo Calafiori (Italy)
Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo & Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel (Brazil) Fábian Ruiz & Mikel Merino, David Raya (Spain)
Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Lucas Hernandez, Ousmane Dembélé & William Saliba (France)

Latest news

Paris

A much-changed Paris went down 2-1 at Strasbourg on Saturday, ending a 39-match unbeaten away Ligue 1 run (W30 D9) – the longest ever in Europe's top five leagues.

Paris have lost successive league games for the first time since April 2023.

Paris suffered their first league defeat of the season on 25 April, going down 1-3 at home to Nice.

The Parisians had been unbeaten in Ligue 1 in their first 30 matches this season (W24 D6), two short of Nantes' record for a single season set in 1994/95.

Paris have lost three of their last six matches in all competitions (W2 D1), as many defeats as in their previous 39 fixtures (W30 D9).

Bradley Barcola scored Paris' goal on Saturday, his 14th in Ligue 1 this season but a first since 8 March.

The French Cup holders will play Reims in this season's final on 24 May.

Ousmane Dembélé's first-leg winner made it 25 goals in 25 Paris appearances in 2025 and 21 Ligue 1 goals this season, having managed three in 2023/24. He has scored 33 in all competitions in 2024/25; his previous best was 14 for Barcelona in 2018/19.

Dembélé was replaced in the first leg at Arsenal with a hamstring injury and was not involved on Saturday.

Kang-in Lee was replaced at half-time at Strasbourg due to foot pain.

Arsenal

The first-leg defeat ended Arsenal's 12-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W6 D6).

On Saturday the Gunners let slip a lead to lose 1-2 at home to Bournemouth, their first Premier League defeat since a 0-1 home reverse against West Ham on 22 February. It was Arsenal's second loss in 25 Premier League matches (W13 D10), although they have taken only 14 points from their last ten matches (W3 D5 L2).

Declan Rice had opened the scoring with his 15th Arsenal goal on his 100th appearances for the club.

Arsenal have dropped 21 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, their joint-most ever in a single campaign, level with 2019/20.

Mikel Arteta's side have scored two or more goals in four of their last seven matches in all competitions.

Jurriën Timber missed Saturday's defeat with a knock.

Riccardo Calafiori has missed the last nine matches after suffering a knee injury in training during the March international break.

Gabriel is not expected to play again this season after suffering a hamstring injury that required surgery in a 2-1 victory against Fulham on 1 April.

On 12 February Arsenal confirmed Kai Havertz had suffered a serious hamstring injury in training.

Gabriel Jesus is also facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after damaging the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the FA Cup defeat by Manchester United on 12 January.

Takehiro Tomiyasu has been out since 5 October due to a knee injury.