“It’s got it written all over it” - Roy Keane predicts Champions League finalists as Arsenal, Barcelona, PSG and Inter prepare for semis

Manchester United legend Roy Keane has predicted the two finalists as Arsenal, Barcelona, PSG and Inter Milan prepare for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals next week.

In the first-leg matchups next week, the Gunners host PSG on Tuesday (April 29), while Inter travel to Barca the next day. The last-four ties conclude with Mikel Arteta's side visiting the Parc des Princes on May 7 and Inter hosting the Blaugrana a day earlier.

The Gunners dumped out holders Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the last eight. Meanwhile, Barca saw off Dortmund 5-3; Inter overcame Bayern Munich 4-3, while PSG survived a 3-2 second-leg defeat at Aston Villa to win 5-4 on aggregate.

Predicting an Arsenal-Barcelona final rematch, like in 2006, Keane said on the Stick to Football podcast (as per The Standard):

"Arsenal v Barcelona final, it’s got it written all over it. How crazy were Real? Just booting everybody, weren’t they? They were just diving in, dragging people down, getting no momentum. That was stopping them from getting momentum!"

The Gunners last reached the Champions League final in 2006, beating Real Madrid (1-0 on aggregate in the Round of 16), losing 2-1 to Barcelona despite taking the lead.

Arsenal and Barcelona's paths to the UEFA Champions League last four

Arsenal FC v Crystal Palace FC - Premier League - Source: Getty — Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta

Arsenal are having a memorable season in Europe, reaching the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2009. Meanwhile, Barca are back in the last four for the first time since losing to eventual champions Liverpool in 2019.

One of three sides to win six of their nine games in the new-look league phase, the Gunners finished third in the standings, behind Liverpool and Barca. One of those wins came against their upcoming last-four opponents, PSG, beating them 2-0 at home.

In the Round-of-16, Mikel Arteta's side annhilated PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on aggregate following a record 7-1 first-leg away win. They then beat Los Blancos, winning 3-0 at home and 2-1 away to storm into the last-four.

Meanwhile, Barca saw off Benfica 4-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16 before beating BvB in the last eight, winning 4-0 at home in the first leg to effectively end the tie as a contest.

While the Gunners are yet to win the Champions League, Barca's last of five titles came in 2015 as a part of their second continental treble. Since then, the Blaugrana are yet to reach the final.

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Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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