The Debate: Who will win the UEFA Champions League?

Ahead of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, the competition looks as open as it has done for many a year as Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Inter vie for glory.

An even split of representatives of England, France, Spain and Italy, you could make a valid case for each of the semi-finalists to go on and lift the trophy at the Allianz Arena in Munich on Saturday 31st May.

The bet365 News team have had their say on who they believe will be crowned UEFA Champions League winners this year.

James Wilson

No team has delivered a bigger statement victory in the UEFA Champions League this season than Arsenal when dismantling Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.

After Declan Rice-inspired Arsenal trounced 15-time tournament winners Real Madrid in the first-leg of the quarter-finals at the Emirates, there was remarkably still widespread scepticism regarding the Gunners’ ability to get over the line in the Santiago Bernabeu.

This underlines how indomitable Real Madrid have been as a European force in recent times, and in turn renders Arsenal’s ability to follow up their 3-0 triumph at the Emirates by toppling Los Blancos in their own back yard as an arguably even more impressive feat.

Real Madrid were naturally regarded as one of the teams to beat ahead of the quarter-finals given their track record in the UEFA Champions League, with Arsenal’s semi-final opponents Paris Saint-Germain perhaps taking on this mantle following Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s exit.

After knocking out six-time winners Liverpool in the last-16 and eliminating further English opposition in the form of Aston Villa, a swashbuckling PSG side assembled by Luis Enrique will likely enter the semis brimming with confidence.

However, it is noteworthy that the much-fancied Parisians have already faced Arsenal this season in Europe back in October and were comfortably beaten 2-0 at the Emirates.

Yes, a lot has changed since then and PSG have improved markedly following the arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskehelia from Napoli and an outstanding spike in form from Ousmane Dembele, but this previous victory will undoubtedly provide Arsenal with confidence heading into this tie nonetheless.

The Gunners’ ability to overwhelm competition holders Real Madrid signalled a coming-of-age moment for a team who have finished runners-up to one of the best English sides of all time in Manchester City in the Premier League across the past two seasons.

Under Arteta, Arsenal are blossoming into a complete team with top-class players all over the park, with William Saliba now amongst the best defenders in Europe, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard elite midfielders and fit-again Bukayo Saka a world-class attacker.

The main point of detraction regularly aimed at this Arsenal side is the lack of a bona fide leading marksman up front, but in Spain international Mikel Merino they may have unearthed a stop-gap option capable of filling the void adequately.

Naturally a central midfielder, 6ft 2 ins Merino provides Arsenal with a physical focal point up front who has proven to represent a useful foil for pacey widemen Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, while the ex-Newcastle man’s outstanding goal against Real Madrid in the quarters demonstrated his knack of finding the net in critical moments.

The unlikely emergence of Merino as an inspirational auxiliary centre-forward almost symbolises the intangible feeling that the stars are aligning for Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League.

PSG’s quarter-final victory over Aston Villa was anything but complete – conceding four goals including two in just three minutes in a nerve-shredding second-leg in Birmingham.

Arsenal have shown little sign of this kind of fragility and have ample reason to believe they are finally primed for their crowning moment under Arteta.   

Ellis Statham

Paris Saint-Germain dismantled Premier League champions Liverpool back in March and they’re placed better than anyone to win their first UEFA Champions League honour in May.

PSG’s transformation since the arrival of Luis Enrique has been nothing short of remarkable. A team that once relied on flashy, superstar names now epitomizes fluidity, positional flexibility and intensity.

Having already been crowned as Ligue 1 champions, only recently suffering their first league defeat, the Parisians can now place full focus on the UEFA Champions League, an honour that they so desperately desire.

A relatively underwhelming league phase saw the French outfit placed 15th after eight games, picking up defeats against Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Arsenal along the way.

A knockout contest against fellow Ligue 1 side Brest would await them, and this is where PSG’s UEFA Champions League campaign would really get going.

A 10-0 victory over two legs, Enrique’s side would hardly break a sweat, comfortably earning a spot in the round of 16 against the then Premier League leaders, now champions, Liverpool.

While PSG’s penalty shootout victory against Liverpool would suggest two evenly poised contests, it was anything but.

The French side recorded 48 shots across the two legs, 18 of which were on target. Had it not have been for two exceptional performances from Alisson Becker, PSG could well have embarrassed the Reds.

Pure domination against one of Europe’s strongest sides at present, alerting fellow UEFA Champions League contenders that they aren’t just here to make up the numbers.

While they made qualification to the semi-finals of the competition hard for themselves, victory was always expected against Aston Villa, and a third consecutive tie against English opposition awaits them in the form of Arsenal.

While Arsenal prevailed against Real Madrid last time out in the UEFA Champions League, PSG will prove a much tougher test.

Los Blancos share similar characteristics to the PSG of old. Undoubtedly talented firepower, yet a lack of cohesion and togetherness when the going gets tough.

The Gunners will be facing a PSG side that embodies unpredictability. A constant threat, whether that be through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola, or high-flying full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes.

While questions have expectedly been raised regarding the side’s lack of experience at this level, the new format means that PSG have already played 14 times in this UEFA Champions League campaign and have certainly found their rhythm.

A lack of know-how is no longer a relevant matter for a side that turned up to Anfield with a one goal deficit and still managed to advance.

Instead, Arsenal and one of Barcelona or Inter Milan should be assessing how to stop Luis Enrique’s industrious, well-oiled machine.

If Paris Saint-Germain demonstrate even half of the quality displayed against Liverpool, European glory could be just around the corner.

William Dobbie

Simone Inzaghi is a master of knockout football – it would be foolish to write off a team under his tutelage.

On paper, making a case for the outsider of four in Europe’s premier footballing competition should be difficult.

But this isn’t.

There wouldn’t have been many left unimpressed by Arsenal’s two-leg demolition job of Real Madrid and rightly so.

The Gunners were fantastic both home and away.

However, they aren’t unbeatable. In fact, they’ve already been beaten in this competition.

6th November 2024 - Inter Milan 1-0 Arsenal

A performance that has seemingly been forgotten by many but it was the performance of a team that understands how to win in knockout competition.

It wasn’t pretty, in fact the awarding of the penalty in first-half added time was fortunate, but that is what good cup teams do; they find a way to win.

So, it should come as no surprise that Inter are managed by Simone Inzaghi.

2025 marks the Italian’s ninth year as a coach, yet he has eight major cup honours to his name.

He guided Lazio to a Coppa Italia final in his first season, albeit finishing runner-up to Juventus, but Inzaghi proved he was a fast learner.

Of the nine finals he has taken charge of since, he has triumphed in eight of them.

The sole loss came in the 2023 UEFA Champions League final to a dominant treble-winning Manchester City side.

Should they reach the final again, I doubt Inzaghi will let victory slip through his grasp.

If they are to be in Munich on May 31st, the Nerazzurri will have to navigate the challenge of Barcelona first.

For me, it’s a challenge that they are more than capable of overcoming.

Hansi Flick’s side have gained plaudits for the way they have blown sides away in the competition.

I’m just not sure they can win that way against Inter.

After all, this is a defence that has kept clean sheets against Arsenal, Manchester City, Atalanta and RB Leipzig this season.

Across the eight league phase fixtures they played, the opposition failed to score in seven of them. Therefore, it may come as no surprise to hear that no team have conceded fewer goals than Inter Milan in the competition.

This isn’t their only route to victory, however.

Major encouragement can be taken from Barcelona’s naive second-leg display against Borussia Dortmund.

The concession of three goals to a team that sits 7th in the Bundesliga is a sign that Inter can do some real damage.

It wasn’t just a one off either.

Barcelona have conceded more goals than any other side left in the tournament.

News that I’m sure will be music to the ears of Lautaro Martínez.

A talismanic figure for the Nerazzurri, the Argentine is the club’s all-time leading goalscorer in European competition.

‘El Toro’ has established himself as one of the best strikers on the continent, hitting 20+ goals in each of his last six seasons in the Italian capital.

Aside from his goalscoring ability, Martinez offers so much more to his team.

Everyone he plays with seems to get better, striking up deadly partnerships with the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Nicolo Barella and more recently Marcus Thuram.

The latter was there for all to see when Thuram’s delightful flick set up Martinez for the opening goal in the quarter-final first-leg against Bayern Munich.

A trip to Barcelona comes first for Inter before they host the Spanish side at the San Siro on 6th May.

Unbeaten in 14 UEFA Champions League matches at the grand old stadium, Inter are capable of anything in front of their adoring fans.

Jaquob Crooke

Not only has Hansi Flick reinvigorated Barcelona's playing style, but he's unified a supremely talented group who do not fear adversity.

“I told Ronald (Araujo) in the hotel: if they score one or two goals, it doesn’t matter. They can’t beat us this year. We’ve proven it,” Lamine Yamal told Spanish press following an enthralling Copa del Rey final success over their arch foe, Real Madrid.

There’s an aura of invincibility about this Barcelona side that we haven’t witnessed for many years.

For several years the club’s ominous financial position has undermined their standing amongst Europe’s elite. Yes, they were La Liga victors in 2022/23, but Barcelona had failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in five successive seasons.

Now with Hansi Flick at the helm, not only do Barca have their eye on a first European crown in a decade, but they’re fixated on becoming the first team on the continent to achieve a third Treble.

The work Flick has undertaken in the Catalan capital is mesmerising. Installing a well-defined structure that’s enabled him to extract the maximum out of an immensely talented group, the former Bayern Munich coach has also worked wonders by replenishing their once fierce mentality.

This Barcelona team simply do not know when they’re beaten.

They proved that against Benfica in the league phase as they fought back from two goals down twice, and they’ve proved that again most recently in their Copa del Rey victory against Real Madrid as they navigated troubled waters to salvage the match and win it in extra time.

It’s a worrying sign if you’re Inter.

The Italian outfit have the ingredients to frustrate Barcelona, but where Simone Inzaghi’s men have suffered a sequence of demoralising results, Flick’s charges are riding the crest of a wave.

Yamal is the poster boy of a fertile Barcelona attack which has seen Raphinha thrust himself into Ballon d’Or contention. The duo, armed by technicians in the shape of Dani Olmo and Pedri, have the ability to conjure inconceivable moments of brilliance when there’s seemingly no way through.

Robert Lewandowski is a notable absentee, but Ferran Torres has been putting up the numbers in his absence.

In defence, there are evident vulnerabilities to Barcelona’s high line, although the precocious Pau Cubarsi is displaying maturity beyond his years to keep the ship steady.

Forging a durable partnership with Inigo Martinez, the pair are accompanied by the reliable Jules Kounde and, if fit, the explosive Alejandro Balde will play a pivotal role in shoring up the defensive line and breaking through the opposition’s defence with his forays.

While they’re able to defend their box valiantly, this Barcelona defence is prone to being breached on the counter.

Fortunately, if Barcelona find themselves requiring a route back into a match, they boast an array of incisive, attacking players who operate with great intensity and possess a never-say-die attitude.

There are match-winners all over the pitch. Whether Barcelona reacquaint themselves with Luis Enrique or recreate the 2005 UEFA Champions League final with Arsenal, the Blaugrana are equipped to conquer all.

You can see all the latest UEFA Champions League odds on our dedicated UEFA Champions League hub.