Alan Smith’s Expert Football Predictions: Champions League & Europa League Semi Finals

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Of course, Arsenal can turn it around here. One-nil is a scoreline that’s redeemable, but they weren’t at their best in the first leg, and that will be in their minds. They saw what a good team PSG were.

It’s only been a few weeks since they beat Real Madrid home and away. So they can reach much higher levels, and they’ve certainly got to do that over in Paris. You wonder about PSG – are they going to score? I can’t see them at home not scoring. So that’s going to make things doubly difficult. But you can’t rule Arsenal out of it at the moment.

Arsenal’s Approach

I thought Arsenal looked a little bit nervous in that first leg. They’ve obviously got to release the handbrake. It’s do or die. They haven’t got to go gung-ho at the match, but as the match progresses, they need to stay in the game.

If they are still in it in the second half and going deeper into that second half, that’s when they can take chances. But they’ve got to take their chances if they can create some. They couldn’t create many in the home leg. So they’ve just got to be positive and believe that they can do it. Belief at this point is really important.

Thomas Partey’s Return

I think it was quite a big absence, a big loss in the first leg. Think about how zipped that ball into Dembele in the middle of the park for the goal, and there was a big gap there, so you wonder if Thomas Partey might have filled that because he tends to kind of hold his position rather than pressing high up the pitch. So to have him back is a bonus and an important return.

PSG the Champions League Top Team

You look at how they performed against Liverpool and against Arsenal in that first leg. They do look the most complete side, I think. I covered Barcelona in their first leg game against Inter Milan, and they were sensational going forward, but they give you a chance at the back.

PSG are more solid defensively, and they’ve got great experience with the likes of Marquinhos and the rest. So I think there’s an argument to be said now that they are the best (team in Europe). They’ve been sitting there just below the best teams over the last few seasons, but I think they probably are top of the pile now.

Prediction

PSG 2 – 0 Arsenal

Spurs’ Concerns

If you’re a Spurs fan, I think you’re going to every game a bit worried, the way that they’ve played this season. Bodø/Glimt’s goal just gives it an edge, and the first goal over in Norway is going to be huge.

If the home team gets it, the crowd get up, the players start believing, then it’s game on. If Spurs get it, then I think that would be too much, going 4-1 up would be enough of a cushion.

We’ve seen how they struggled on the 4G pitch at Tamworth earlier in the season in the FA Cup. They have got a lead now, so it’s a different kind of proposition. But the plastic surface just puts in that kind of question mark as to how this match is going to go.

Bodø/Glimt beat Lazio on that surface a few weeks back, 2-0, when they played ever so well. Defensively, that’s going to be the key for Spurs – if they can defend well.

Trophy Importance

It’s been a long, long time since they lifted a trophy, and it would be a big, big moment for the club. It really would. At the same time, I think it would be tinged because of the league campaign. To lose 19 league games is just unheard of for a club of Tottenham’s stature.

Everybody would be really pleased with a trophy. And of course, going forward, Champions League football is brilliant because of the finances that it brings in. They would have to improve a lot if they’re going to make any kind of mark in the Champions League if they qualified, but it would be a big step for them. A big step.

Prediction

Bodø/Glimt 1 – 1 Tottenham

United’s European Form

The physicality might be an aspect, but you’d expect Manchester United to be able to cope with the physicality, having to deal with it in the Premier League. It was notable that Amorim said after the Brentford game at the weekend that “we knew we were going to struggle in the aerial challenges.” You think, well, how have they got to that point where they know they’re going to struggle against Brentford with balls played up high into the box?

I do think sometimes – I’ve been there myself – you’re struggling in the league, but then you get to that midweek game in Europe and you kind of have a slightly different mindset. It’s like a blank sheet of paper, almost.

They will be thinking – let’s put that league defeat from the weekend to bed, and we’ve been playing well in Europe. So they will have a little bit more confidence, a little bit more belief. That can be a reason for their better form.

Amad Diallo’s Return

It’s a bonus, isn’t it? Amad Diallo is a really talented player, a great player. And they’ve been sorely lacking in terms of goal scoring. So he’s one of those who can nick a goal here, as he showed at Brentford. They need all the potential goal scorers they can get.

Mason Mount as well – I think he’s slowly building up to become the player that we saw for so long at Chelsea and England. That would be another bonus for Ruben Amorim. But Amad – good to see him back because he’s a talented boy.

Prediction

Man Utd 2 – 2 Athletic Club

The prospect of six English teams in the Champions League next season? Well, it’s good for us. Those are the rules. I suppose the rest of Europe fears us to a certain extent in Europe, and it looks like it will be an all-English final in the Europa League.

We’ve only got Arsenal left in the Champions League. So it’s not like we’re dominating the premier competition in Europe, but it’d be a bit different. I’m not sure how many times that’s happened before, if ever, that we would have six in the Champions League. But I think it’s great for English football.