The quarter-finals for UEFA’s three elite club competitions are now in the books, and what a round of football it was across Europe. In the Champions League, Arsenal sprang the shock of the round, handsomely defeating reigning champions Real Madrid 5-1 across two legs, including a famous 2-1 victory in the Bernabeu. The Gunners’ English compatriots, Manchester United, were the talk of the Europa League meanwhile, rallying to score three goals in the final seven minutes of extra time to stage an almighty comeback against Lyon at Old Trafford.
Now, though, the competition has truly heated up, and the semifinals are just around the corner. The final-four is a stage where each remaining team will feel as though they have a genuine chance of emerging with one of the three respective trophies. Here are our tips as to who we think will ultimately do exactly that.
Paris Saint-Germain
The UEFA Champions League has perhaps never been as wide open, and all four remaining teams have a very real opportunity of emerging victorious. Online betting sites currently have Barcelona listed as the 2/1 favorites, but it’s Paris Saint-Germain that we feel could end up claiming the trophy at the Allianz Arena on May 31st. While Barca are the frontrunners, the popular Thunderpick crypto betting site has PSG listed at 9/4, offering some value on the Parisians compared to the Catalonian counterparts.
The recently crowned 13-time Ligue 1 champions have seemingly shed their skin as perennial underachievers on the continental stage. Even a strike force of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Neymar couldn’t get the French giants past the Round of 16, but a new-look side under manager Luis Enrique seems set to take the club further than ever before.
Ousmane Dembele is unquestionably the star of the show and has finally matured at the age of 27 into the player he always promised to be. Supported by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and teenage sensation Désiré Doué, the Parisians have a menacing frontline able to take the fight to any defense on the continent.
PSG has some crucial factors on their side in their quest for a maiden Champions League crown this term. They already have the Ligue 1 title wrapped up, meaning that they can rest their key players for domestic encounters, allowing them to be fully fit and firing in their continental clashes. Add to that the fact that manager Luis Enrique knows what it takes to win the competition, as demonstrated by his exploits with Barcelona in 2015, and it’s clear that this PSG team is in a stronger position to claim the title than any of its predecessors.
A crunch semi-final clash against Arsenal will be a difficult one to navigate. But they have already knocked off two English sides in the form of Virgil van Dijk’s Liverpool and Aston Villa, and the Gunners could well be the third in a few weeks.
Athletic Bilbao
The Europa League stage is set for Athletic Bilbao to go on and claim a maiden European title. The final will be hosted in their stunning San Mames home, providing them with the perfect opportunity to deliver that first continental crown in the history of the club. Add to that the fact that their two biggest rivals for the trophy, namely Premier League giants Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, are in the midst of two of the worst seasons in the history of each club, and it’s clear why the Lions are in such a great position.
While those aforementioned English sides are floundering domestically, Bilbao certainly are not. They are in blistering form domestically and are currently fourth in the La Liga table. With stars such as wingers Nico and Inaki Williams, the Basque outfit has perhaps the finest team it has ever assembled. Now, they have to kick on and secure silverware.
They face Manchester United in the semifinals, and overcoming the Red Devils following their miraculous exploits in the quarter-finals will be no easy feat. That sentiment is perhaps why the Spaniards are listed as the 9/4 second favorite rather than the outright frontrunner, but the Lions have been here before. They knocked off the Old Trafford club en route to the final back in 2012 – winning home and away, no less – and 13 years later, they are set to do it again.
Chelsea
Premier League heavyweights Chelsea have been the favorites to win the Conference League all season long, and that hasn’t changed as we head into the semifinals. The bookies have them listed at an incredibly short 2/5 frontrunner to win the trophy this season, and we can’t see them being beaten. Their squad is without question the strongest in the tournament, with the likes of Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo genuine superstars, and they should have far too much for Swedish underdogs Djurgårdens in the semifinals.
Real Betis are probably Chelsea’s biggest challengers for the crown, They have stars of their own in the form of Manchester United loanee Antony and former UEFA Champions League winner Isco. The two teams look set to meet in the final in Wroclaw on May 28th, and we think the Blues will have enough about them to get the job done.