“They’ll be knocked out, I’m not supporting any of them but this is my honest prediction”: Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola names who’s going to be victorious between Arsenal and PSG, gives reasons
Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are locked in an off-pitch feud just days before their Champions League semi-final at the Emirates, according to reports.
PSG travel to London for the first leg of their semi-final next Tuesday, eight days before the return leg in Paris.
Arsenal beat the Ligue Un champions 2-0 in a league phase match earlier this season, a win that came with surprising ease.
Luis Enrique’s side are a different proposition now, having knocked out domestic rivals Brest in the play-offs, Liverpool in the last 16 and Aston Villa in the quarter-final.
Their form has been relentless, and it promises to be a tight match at the Emirates.
However, there is an off-pitch issue to resolve before the two teams lock horns.
Reports from France say PSG have only been allocated 2,500 tickets for the Champions League clash, despite being given 3,000 in the October league phase match.
UEFA regulations typically require clubs to allocate 5% of the stadium’s capacity to away fans, but 2,500 tickets fall closer to 4%, which is short of UEFA’s guidelines and could be contentious.
It has certainly annoyed PSG, whose request for an extra 500 tickets has been ‘rejected’ by Arsenal, as per L’Equipe.
The Gunners have justified their decision by citing security concerns related to the 3,000-ticket allocation, compounded by the London Marathon, which takes place just two days before the semi-final.
PSG, however, argue that this decision is not in the spirit of ‘fair play’ and have reportedly lodged a complaint with UEFA to reinstate the full ticket allocation.
There are also reports suggesting PSG ‘could explore other avenues of appeal’ before Tuesday’s clash. The report states:
‘PSG received a rejection from Arsenal for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final (Tuesday, 9 p.m.).
‘The English club confirmed to the France champions that it was only granting them 2,500 seats and not 3,000, as in the league phase match on October 1 (0-2) and as is customary with 5% of the capacity of a stadium reserved for visitors.
‘British officials justified themselves by citing security reasons requested by the local authorities. The holding of the London Marathon is being discussed, according to some sources, even if it is held this Sunday, more than 48 hours before the match.
‘PSG does not find this decision very fair play and has referred the matter to UEFA to try to obtain the quota of 3,000 tickets that are due to it according to UEFA regulations.
‘The club could also explore other avenues of appeal between now and Tuesday if necessary. Parisian subscribers received an email on Thursday to buy their ticket for the Emirates.’
