Arsenal's trophy fate tied to worldie that stunned Europe as Champions League race nears its end

The race for the Champions League title is nearing its climax as four teams prepare to face off in the first leg of the semi finals this week.

Arsenal will take on Paris Saint-Germain in the first match of the round before Inter Milan and Barcelona take to the field in a bid to move one step closer to another title.

All teams will be set to push to the limits in hopes of claiming the title, but here are some of the questions that will need to be answered before the final is locked in.

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Can Arsenal replicate the moment that stunned Europe?

Arsenal have proven that converting from set-pieces is one of their biggest strengths on the pitch this season but it is also one of their rival's weaknesses.

Declan Rice stunned Europe in the quarter finals when he placed two sensational free kicks into the back of the net to help his side to a 3-0 win against Real Madrid.

Mikel Arteta will be hoping the midfielder can replicate those stunners in the first leg of the semi finals, given 33 per cent of PSG's conceded goals come from set-pieces.

It's a statistic PSG manager Luis Enrique recognises but insists that his players will have strategies in place to prevent such plays occurring.

Arsenal are undefeated in their last five past meetings with PSG, having achieved a comfortable 2-0 win already in the Champions League this season.

Since that match, both managers have transformed their teams into threatening forces and the picture has evolved somewhat, with PSG at the tail end of a scintillating season.

"That was seven or eight months ago. I saw that match again. We are a much better team today," he said.

"These are the Champions League semi finals, but they're still two games between two teams with the same goal. The key will be managing the pressure.

"They're one of the best teams in Europe and they've been doing a remarkable job with their coach for several years now.

"We all deserve to be here. I like my team the most, that's why I'm here.

"We are obviously working on all of the aspects of the game, because how do you think I got my licence to be a coach without working on everything?"

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PSG's hunt to end troubling run

Enrique is confident his players can return to their winning ways when they travel to the Emirates as PSG looks to reach its first Champions League final since 2020.

The Spaniard's team enters the semi final with a Ligue 1 title already under its belt but standards have slipped a touch recently.

The French team looked set to become the first team in history to record an unbeaten run in Ligue 1 but their hopes came to an abrupt end against Nice.

PSG suffered their first defeat on Saturday at home as they fell to a 3-1 defeat against Nice, despite being in control of play for majority of the match.

PSG held 76 per cent of the possession and took 32 shots at goal, yet only one shot managed to find the back of the net. Nice managed to strike their only three shots on target past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Prior to that game, Enrique's men lost in the second leg of the Champions League quarter finals to Aston Villa and drew to Nantes in the Ligue 1.

Enrique took aim at reporters on Monday (AEST)for only focusing on the "negative aspects" of the PSG's recent run and insisted his team's mentality remains unchanged.

"No one is talking about the goals or the games we've won, let's talk about our defeats, that's fine," the Spanish manager said.

"You can say everything you want, you can send everything my way. Our mindset is wonderful.

"The most unhappy or sad member of the squad is me so you can just imagine what the others are doing."

Can Inter Milan survive Barcelona's attack?

All eyes will be on the battle between the competition's best attack and best defence in the first leg of the semi finals on Thursday.

Barcelona have proven they are a powerful force in attack this season, having scored the highest number of goals in the competition with 37.

The next closest semi finalist to their goal-scoring achievements is PSG with 30, while their upcoming rivals Inter Milan have managed just 19.

Although, Inter Milan has only conceded five goals so far in the Champions League.

Of Inter Milan's battles in the Champions League this season, eight of their matches ending with a clean sheet.

However, in the past 12 previous match-ups against Barcelona, the Italian club has only managed four wins and two draws against their Spanish rivals.

Still, Barcelona have been handed a shorter turnaround than their rivals, with just five days separating the first leg of the Champions League and the Copa del Rey final.

In a fierce warning for Inter Milan, Barcelona won the Copa del Rey final with a sensational 3-2 extra time goal.

But the challenge of Barcelona's fierce attack remains one Italian star Matteo Darmian believes can be defeated.

"We'll do everything to bring it home," the Inter Milan defender said after the club's loss to Roma on Sunday.

"We'll be prepared, the way we always are. It's normal that we have to recover both physically and mentally.

"Despite these last few losses, we still have a lot to play for. We know how hard it will be [against Barcelona].

"We have to stay united in the dressing room and look forward."

Will there be a first time Champions League winner?

With four teams left in the race for the Champions League trophy, the possibility of a first-time winner being crowned is strong.

Only Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have yet to claim the Champions League title of the remaining four teams in the tournament.

Inter Milan achieved their third title in the tournament in 2010, while Barcelona have lifted the trophy five times since 1992.

Arsenal have competed in the tournament's final in the past, having been denied by Barcelona of claiming the silverware in 2006.

But both Arteta and Enrique have expressed their intent to make history with their clubs, but only one of the pairs playing groups will advance into the final.

"The objective is difficult to achieve," Enrique, manager of PSG, said.

"That doesn't mean we're under any pressure, we're ambitious.

"When we say we want to make history, we're talking about doing something that nobody has done before us. The team has a lot of confidence, and sometimes we're less brilliant, but that's part of life."

Arteta, manager of the Gunners, admitted he is drawing inspiration from the club's women's team, who recently broke their 18-year Champions League final drought.

"It's incredible what they have done," Arteta said.

"To achieve it in the manner they have done it, they've shown the road, the pathway, how we can do it."