The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League has reached the semifinal stage, and it’s anyone’s guess who will lift the famous big-eared trophy in Munich on May 31st. Following the early eliminations of UEFA Champions League tournament favorites Liverpool and Real Madrid, the door is wide open for any of the four remaining teams to bulldoze their way through, but who will be the one to take the bull by the horns and get over the line?
The sports betting providers make Spanish giants Barcelona the favorites to reign supreme. Following their quarter-final victory over Borussia Dortmund, the latest sports betting at Thunderpick odds price the Blaugrana as a 4/7 to progress past Inter Milan in the semifinals, while similar sites make them the 2/1 frontrunner to win the tournament outright. But one thing that is for certain is that the Nerazzurri won’t lie down in their two-legged final-four contest; nor will either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
All four teams remaining have genuine match winners capable of winning games on their own on their day. But who is most important for each team as the UEFA Champions League final begins to loom large on the horizon? Let’s find out.
Arsenal: Bukayo Saka
Arsenal have had to endure one injury after another this season, and those knocks have torpedoed their dream of winning the Premier League. Season-ending blows for strikers Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz mean that defensive midfielder Mikel Merino has had to play as a makeshift center forward, while injuries to both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were also huge losses. However, both have since returned, and they combined to devastating effect in the UCL quarter-finals against Real Madrid.
In the first leg, it was Declan Rice who took center stage, thumping home two free kicks to secure a 3-0 victory. However, in the second leg, it was all about Bukayo Saka. The English winger terrorized opposition fullback David Alaba all night in the Bernabeu, and that was a key component to the Gunners emerging victorious. Admittedly, he missed a penalty in the first half, but his brilliant finish in the second helped Arsenal on their way to a 2-1 victory in the Spanish capital and a lopsided 5-1 win on aggregate.
Saka’s return from injury has come at just the perfect time for the North London side, and his performances against Real Madrid proved why he is their main man. It wasn’t just in the Bernabeu where he terrorized Alaba; he did the same at the Emirates. And the Austrian defender is certainly no slouch – one only needs to take a look at his haul of 12 league titles and four Champions League winners medals to see that.
But despite all the accolades, every time Saka got the ball and ran at him, he looked terrified. Either cutting inside from the right wing or going on the outside and getting to the touchline, the sensational winger caused Alaba fits. He was the player that midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard looked to time and again for some inspiration, and Saka would provide it in spades every time. Now, the task becomes doing the same thing against Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.
PSG: Ousmane Dembele
But while Arsenal have Saka, Paris Saint-Germain have a talismanic attacker of their own in the form of Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman looks to have finally come of age upon his return to his homeland, and he is turning into the player that prompted Barcelona to fork out €145m some eight years ago.
This season, the former Borussia Dortmund man has been the star of the show at the Parc Des Princes. 32 goals and 11 assists in 43 appearances in all competitions have prompted the bookies to install Dembele as the favorite to win the Ballon d’Or this year. He has already helped his side wrap up yet another Ligue 1 crown, but now he has his sights set on delivering the Champions League to his country’s capital city for the first time.
Barcelona: Lamine Yamal
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has taken the world by storm since breaking into the Barcelona first team last season. He was arguably the star of the show as he helped Spain win Euro 2024 last summer, and he has been in scintillating form once again this term.
He forms one-third of a devastating strike force alongside Polish goal machine Robert Lewandowski and captain Raphinha. However, with the former of that duo potentially missing the semifinals with an injury and with the latter managing just two league goals in the last two months, the onus falls on Yamal to lead the charge.
While his strike partners may well outshine him in terms of statistics, on the ball, there is no question that Yamal is the star of the show. With the ball at his feet, he looks like the second coming of Lionel Messi, and he is integral to Barcelona’s attacking plans. Expect the Blaugrana to give the ball to their prodigious young winger at every given opportunity and expect him to make some magic happen.
Inter Milan: Alessandro Bastoni
While the three prior semifinalists have attackers leading the charge, Inter Milan’s main man is defender Alessandro Bastoni. The Italian is arguably the best center back on the planet in present form, and if he continues to be a brick wall in front of Yann Sommer’s goal, then the Nerazzurri have a great chance of progressing past Barcelona in the semifinals.
But he isn’t just a beast at the back; Bastoni can also build play from the back courtesy of his passing game. Expect him to not only break up countless attacks, but also set the Nerazzurri on the front foot as he distributes the ball forward to playmaker Nicola Barella. The Italians are the outsiders for the Champions League this term, but write them – and Bastoni – off at your peril.
