The second leg of the Champions League semifinals is built up to be a classic.
The pregame narrative: Barcelona fought back from an early deficit to force a 3-3 draw against Inter Milan and now heads to the San Siro with Robert Lewandowski back in its lineup. Meanwhile, Arsenal is a heavy underdog to erase a 1-0 deficit in Paris and advance to the final.
Check out the best Champions League prop picks featuring Raphinha and Gabriel Martinelli for the second leg.
Champions League picks
Best Bet: Raphinha to score or assist (-106)
Barcelona needed a spark down 0-2 without Lewandowski in the opening leg, and Raphinha helped answer the bell.
The Brazilian forward assisted on Ferran Torres’ game-tying goal and had five shot attempts (three on target) while playing the full 90 minutes.
That marked Raphinha’s 20th goal involvement in the Champions League this season (13 matches), putting him one back of Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time record from 2013-14.
Lewandowski will be back on Tuesday, and that’s one more elite mouth for Raphinha to feed. The Polish striker has 40 goals across all competitions for Barca this year and helps stretch the pitch, making everyone more effective.
Inter Milan has been the competition’s best defensive team, but cracks are appearing in the Nerrazurri’s facade at the wrong time.
It has given up a goal in 10 of its last 11 games, with 10 goals allowed over its past six.
Key stat: Raphinha has cashed this bet in four of Barcelona’s five UCL knockout stage games.
Go to full Champions League betting markets.
Quick pick
Martinelli over 0.5 shots on target (-106): Bukayo Saka hasn’t been his typical game-breaking self since returning from injury on April 1, with just two goals and zero assists in nine appearances.
But Martinelli has picked up some of the slack, and he seems like a great value to record a SOT on Wednesday.
- Martinelli has a shot on target in three straight games for the Gunners, and in 7 of his last 10.
- That includes the opening leg against PSG, where he generated a team-high 1.1 xG (three shot attempts, one SOT).
- He has multiple shot attempts in all but one game since Saka returned to the lineup.
The Brazilian forward was Arsenal’s most dangerous player in the first leg and will likely get the full 90 for Mikel Arteta, barring an injury.
With that said, he’ll have plenty of chances to fire on net.
Champions League picks made at 3:12 p.m. on 05/05/25.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.