The semifinals of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League are this week, with a dozen sides from six different countries still in contention to lift a continental trophy. Two matches stand between a place in a final, or heartbreak. All but one of the matches also impact the remaining UEFA coefficient battles that are still left.
Ahead of the semifinals, The Deck previews all six matchups, and predicts who will be moving on from this round.
UEFA Champions League: Semifinal Preview
Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich
For the second time this season, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich end up facing off in the UCL. This time, it is for all the marbles.
Les Parisiens have come alive since that matchday 4 reverse at home. They will host the first leg, looking to exact revenge from last autumn. Knockout round football has been very kind to PSG of late, as they are unbeaten across their last nine games (8-1-0) since losing the away leg of their UCL quarterfinal last term. They are looking to become the first side since Real Madrid in 2017/18 to successfully defend the Champions League, and would become the second team under the competition’s current guise to do so. Interestingly, none of the previous 15 games between PSG and Bayern have ever ended level, with the German side leading 9-0-6.
Bayern has enjoyed another excellent season in the UCL, even better than last term. Die Bayern finished second in the league phase with seven wins from eight, and have since come out on top in all four knockout round clashes against Atalanta and Real Madrid. In all four previous seasons in which they posted double digits in wins – they are on 11 for this campaign – they reached the final. Since winning their last title in 2019/20, this is the second time Bayern has gotten back to the semifinals, the other occasion coming two years ago when Real Madrid knocked them out. Considering UCL only, the Bundesliga outfit has won the last five games.
Prediction: Bayern Munich
Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal
Another repeat meeting from the league phase, Atlético Madrid will be striving for better luck as they take on Arsenal.
Overall, the head-to-head between the two sides reads one win apiece, plus a draw. Atleti came out on top in their other two-legged tie with their North London opponent. That came in the 2017/18 Europa League at this stage, where Los Colchoneros prevailed 2-1 on aggregate before beating Marseille in the final. That remains their most recent continental trophy, though they have never won the UCL before. The defeat at the Emirates during the league phase was the only time Atleti did not score in a UCL match this season, having found the back of the net 34 times. Diego Simeone’s side has just one win in their last six versus English opposition (1-1-4), coming in the last 16 against Tottenham in March.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are the only team left in the UCL this term to have not lost a single game in the tournament so far, winning 10 of 12 matches. They also have eight clean sheets, including in each of their last three outings. Of the four semifinalists, Arsenal has the fewest appearances in the Champions League final, with their only other showing being two decades ago. With that said, they did knock out a Spanish side in the semis (Villarreal), which could give them inspiration. The Premier League pacesetters are also on a seven-match winning streak versus LaLiga sides, something that could work to their advantage in this tie.
Prediction: Atlético Madrid
UEFA Europa League: Semifinal Preview
Sporting Braga vs Freiburg
Perhaps one of the more unique Europa League semifinals in recent memory, Sporting Braga will face off against first-time continental semifinalists Freiburg.
Since reaching the final of the competition back in 2010/11, this is Braga’s best continental performance, having twice made two quarterfinals between that time. The Portuguese side has enjoyed a solid campaign, going 12-4-2 this campaign, and scoring 34 times. While they have never taken on a German side in a two-legged UEL tie, they did face Werder Bremen in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup round of 32. Os Arcebispos lost both legs on that occasion, falling 4-0 on aggregate. Braga has scored in each of their last 14 home games in Europe stretching back to last season. Excluding qualifying, that streak is also at 14, since 2023/24.
Freiburg is the only one of the four semifinalists to be making their debut at this stage of a UEFA club competition. The Bundesliga team, who is playing in the UEFA Cup/Europa League for the seventh time, has won all six home matches in the tournament this term, keeping four clean sheets. Their away form has not been as convincing though, going 2-2-2, while also going through a run of three games without scoring. Finding the back of the net in Portugal could be key to their success though – they have never lost away from home in continental football when they scored. Breisgau-Brasilianer drew both of their previous games against Portuguese opposition against Estoril.
Prediction: Sporting Braga
Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa
For the second season in a row, two English teams will face off in the UEL, as Nottingham Forest takes on Aston Villa.
Forty-one years on from their other appearance in the semifinals of this competition, Forest has made their return. The Tricky Trees were beaten by Anderlecht in the 1984/85 UEFA Cup semis 3-2 on aggregate. They made the last eight 12 years on before Bayern Munich ended their run. While they have not excelled at home in this season’s edition, they have enjoyed reasonable success on their travels. Forest has prevailed in 10 away matches in two-legged ties all-time, including in the knockout round playoffs and round of 16. That is key, as they ultimately progressed in all 10 ties, while they have never been eliminated when they avoided defeat on their travels.
Villa has been the standout team in the Europa League this campaign, winning 11 of 12 matches, and keeping seven clean sheets in the process. While they made the quarterfinals twice in the UEFA Cup era, the former European Cup winners had never made it farther than that. Perhaps the more interesting thing for the Villans is, their European Cup triumph in 1981/82 was one of two times they successfully negotiated the quarterfinals of a UEFA club competition. They also did so two years ago in the UEFA Conference League, but lost to eventual winners Olympiakos Piraeus in the semifinals.
Prediction: Aston Villa
UEFA Conference League: Semifinal Preview
Rayo Vallecano vs Strasbourg
On to the semifinals of the UEFA Conference League, where Rayo Vallecano and Strasbourg will meet for the first time.
Vallecano has managed to go one round further than they did in their only previous continental campaign, when they reached the UEFA Cup quarterfinals. During that 2000/01 run, they defeated a French side, winning both legs against Girondins de Bordeaux in the round of 16. Across their nine ties in UEFA club competition play, Los Franjirrojos have always won at least one leg. Of their five losses in Europe all-time, four of them have come on the road. After Real Betis made the final of the UECL last May, Rayo is looking to become the first Spanish team to lift the trophy.
Strasbourg finished top of the league phase, going unbeaten in the process. Their first leg reverse in the quarterfinals against Mainz is their only loss in the UECL thus far, going 8-3-1 overall. The last time Le Racing made it past a group phase in Europe came two decades ago, when they reached the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup before losing to Basel. This will be the club’s first crack against an opponent from Spain in European competition. They have managed three clean sheets in the UECL, including their last match. Should they progress, Strasbourg would be the first team from France to make the final.
Prediction: Strasbourg
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Crystal Palace
The other semifinal pits Shakhtar Donetsk and Crystal Palace together, which presents both teams a wonderful opportunity at a final.
Of the four teams left, Shakhtar is the only team to have lifted a European trophy before. The Pitmen went all the way in the last edition of the UEFA Cup in 2008/09 before the competition became the Europa League. Since their triumph over Werder Bremen, this is the third time they have reached the semifinals. They fell at this stage both times. Across their nine away games this season, Shakhtar is 6-3-0, making it their best-ever performance in a season. The Ukrainians have also scored multiple times in each of their last six road games, stretching back to the playoff round. They do have a poor record versus English opposition though, losing more than half of their 19 fixtures 5-4-10.
Participating in their first season in Europe, Crystal Palace became the fourth different Premier League team to get to the last four of the Conference League. The Eagles had to do it the hard way though, as they are the only one of the semifinalists to partake in the knockout round playoffs. Yet, Oliver Glasner’s men are within touching distance of achieving a rare feat – making a European final in their debut season. They did face Dynamo Kyiv to open their league phase campaign, beating Shakhtar’s rivals 2-0. Palace has not won both legs of any of their four two-legged ties this term, going 4-3-1.
Prediction: Crystal Palace
