- PSG to win – 13/10 BetVictor
- Kvaratskhelia to score or assist – 23/20 BetMGM
Arsenal go in search of a historic double on Saturday when they take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest (5pm, TNT Sports and HBO Max).
They have already secured the Premier League title, and now Mikel Arteta’s side could win this competition for the first time, if they can overcome the reigning champions.
The Gunners have been favourites to lift the trophy since they finished top of the league table with eight wins from eight, but something has shifted and the French side are now preferred by betting sites.
Being the underdogs won’t bother Arsenal though, in fact, it takes the pressure off a side who only secured their first league title in 22 years with one game to go, despite being top since 4 October.
PSG also finished top of their respective league, finishing six points clear of Lens to secure their fifth successive title and they have been in excellent form of late, barring defeat last time out against city rivals Paris FC.
While Arsenal have somewhat limped over the line with five of their last six wins being by a single goal, PSG have scored 18 in their last eight games, and their front line has been in excellent form all season.
Between them, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha and Desire Doue have scored 28 goals in the competition, which is only one less than the whole Arsenal team.
In total, PSG have scored 44 goals in their 16 Champions League games, the most in the competition, just ahead of Bayern Munich, while Arsenal have managed just 29 from their 14 appearances, the same as Newcastle.
In stark contrast, though, Arsenal have only conceded six goals, while Saturday’s opponents conceded 22, which is among the highest in the competition.
This will be just the 10th meeting between the two sides, but it is a repeat of last year’s semi-final when Luis Enrique’s side won 3-1 on aggregate.
They won 1-0 at Arsenal courtesy of a fourth-minute strike from Ousmane Dembele before goals from Fabian Ruiz, Achraf Hakimi in Paris secured their place in the final. Bukayo Saka did pull a late goal back, but it made no difference to the outcome.
We all know what happened next, as PSG lifted the trophy for the first time with a 5-0 thrashing of Inter in the final.
This is just Arsenal’s second appearance in the final, their only other one coming exactly 20 years ago when they faced Barcelona in the Stade de France.
Defender Sol Campbell gave the Gunners the lead in the first half but two goals in four second-half minutes turned the tie on its head. Samuel Eto’o equalised for the Spanish giants before Juliano Belletti scored the winner 10 minutes from time.
As good as Arsenal’s defence have been this season, they are yet to face a side with the attacking quality of PSG. As we saw against Liverpool, Bayern, Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, PSG are unplayable on their day.
The Gunners have also reached the final without playing any of Europe’s elite, and while that was pure chance, it could prove detrimental against a side looking to be the first French side to retain the trophy.
PSG are odds-on with football betting sites to lift the trophy, but the better option may be to back them to get the job done in 90 minutes.
PSG vs Arsenal prediction 1: PSG to win – 13/10 BetVictor
If Arsenal are to win this one, they are going to have to keep Khvicha Kvaratskhelia quiet, because he has been instrumental to their success this season.
The Georgian already has 10 goals and six assists in 15 appearances in the competition and 23 goals for club and country this season.
Seven of his goals have come in the knock-out stages of the Champions League and he seems to like playing against English sides with three against Chelsea and another against Liverpool. He also scored against Aston Villa last season and was on target in the final.
He’s 5/2 to score anytime on some betting apps or you can get 7/1 on him scoring first, as he has done seven times already this season.
PSG vs Arsenal prediction 2: Kvaratskhelia to score or assist – 23/20 BetMGM
PSG: Achraf Hakimi is a doubt for the final with a thigh injury suffered in the semi-final first leg against Bayern. He is back in full training, so he could take a place on the bench.
Arsenal: Noni Madueke and Jurrien Timber are both doubts for the game, but Ben White is definitely out with a knee injury.
PSG: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, João Neves; Doué, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia
Arsenal: Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
There’s a host of Champions League offers available for Sunday’s final, but the pick of the bunch might be from Coral, who are offering odds of 50/1 on both teams to score.
The offer is only open to new customers who sign up using the link above and then make a first deposit of at least £10 using an eligible payment method.
The next step is to wager a maximum of £1 on both teams to score in the PSG vs Arsenal match market at the standard odds.
If both teams find the net, Coral will pay out in cash on the £1 bet and credit bettors with 10 x £5 free bet tokens to equal a payout at 50/1.
The free bets are valid for four days and can be used on any sport on the Coral sportsbook, excluding virtual sports.
If you are having a bet on the Champions League final, don’t forget to stay in control of your time and budget on gambling sites. The same applies whether you’re using betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.
Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.
It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino bonuses you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.
You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.
You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:
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