The most couples of the Champions League are coming: Is there a favorite?

The presence of each of the teams that make up the semifinalist quartet of the UEFA Champions League It is not surprising. Barcelona, Inter, Arsenal y Paris Saint-Germain They have enough history and merits to be one step away from the final that will be played on May 31 in Munich. The striking thing is that Real Madrid Not one of the four. A rarity. Without the defending champion and maximum winner of the history of the tournament, with 15 titles, and a fixed in the semifinals in recent years -he called in 12 of the last 15 editions -,, The Champions does not offer a clear favorite. Without candidate, the four are candidates.

The absence of Real Madrid in the Poker of clubs that are still in the Champions League race is striking not only by history but also invested in the hiring of Kylian Mbappé, although it is also a consequence of irregularity and inconsistency in the game that characterized its season. Fairly The opposite happens with the four semifinalists: Hansi Flick's Barcelona leads LaLiga solidly, Inter Simone Inzaghi is at the top of Serie A, Luis Enrique's PSG already consecrated champion in Ligue 1 and the arsenal of Mikel Arteta, who could not hold the rhythm to Liverpool in the Premier League, was the executioner of Madrid in the Champions League.

While Barça appears a step higher on the ladder towards glory, for talent, regularity and efficiency, it would not be a surprise if it fails to overcome Inter. In fact, the Catalan team lowered its level in the last meetings.

Nor does a concrete superiority arise in the other series: neither arsenal nor PSG have outdated figures that amenite award them favoritism over their rival. The two agreed to this instance more by collective functioning than by individual supremacy.

Parity is not only in direct duels but also in the general panorama: Neither series has a markedly higher level. Only the story inclines the balance to the series between Barcelona and Inter, since between the two there are eight titles -with the Spaniards, three the Italians -while Arsenal and PSG were never European champions.

Barcelona vs. Inter, style clash

Barcelona enjoys having the ball. Possession, beyond that it is no longer its main badge as in the glorious first two decades of the 21st century, it is a factor that determines its game. To the mastery of the game added verticality and vertigo. When your midfielders, with Pedri As a reference, they take over the ball, Flick's team rules in the games. And if Lamine Yamaly Raphinha They are inspired, as they were practically the whole season, the danger in the rival arch is always latent. And the power of fire of Robert Lewandowski It ends, usually the task.

Inter does not despise the possession of the ball, but it doesn't cling to it either. It does not feel uncomfortable if you have to defend, even retreat, and then counterattack. The search for the direct game with Lautaro Martínez As the main focus of the offensive, it is an outstanding characteristic of the performance of those led by Inzaghi.

Barça won 9 of its 12 games in this Champions (1 draw and 2 losses), and is, as widely the most scorer of the tournament with 37. The Nerazzurro also won 9 wins (2 equalities and 1 fall), but barely put 19 goals. The numbers reflect behaviors in the game.

Arsenal and PSG, looking for their first Champions

The pair of free kick goals of Declan Rice In London, in the first leg duel against Real Madrid, he marked Arsenal's course in this Champions. The Arteta team made the epic classification against the eternal candidate in the best European tournament with a triumph at Bernabéu. What appeared as the main obstacle in search of obtaining their first orejona, the gunners surpassed them with less risk than the expected. If arsenal, with Martin Ødegaard y Bukayo from As figures and a collective game assimilated and improved over the years, he eliminated Madrid from Carlo Ancelotti, why can't he dream of the title?

PSG left behind the years in which the hiring of routilating stars was their priority. Luis Enrique built a team with fewer weight names and more sacrifice. A set with more workers and versatile soccer players. The defensive firmness of Willian Pachothe projections of Achraf Hakimi y Nuno Mendesthe midfield tandem between Vitinha y Fabián Ruizthe talent of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the young man Desiredand the best version of Ousmane Dembélé They turned PSG into a fearsome set.

Arsenal reaped 9 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat. PSG had a start with doubts, had to cross the playoffs, but grew at stake and results (8 wins, 1 draw and 5 losses).

The previous confrontation in this Champions League on October 1, 2024, with a 2-0 Arsenal victory in Emirates, was very far in time. For this round trip there is no clear panorama.

Everything can happen in the semifinals of the Champions League. And that is what makes them extremely attractive.