El PSG strikes first
Luis Enrique’s team, with a solitary goal from Ousmane Dembélé, defeat Arteta’s Arsenal in the first leg in London
Paris Saint-Germain has emerged victorious this Tuesday against Arsenal in London (0-1) in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, where a solitary goal from Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé in the early minutes allows Luis Enrique’s team to face the return leg in Paris with an advantage, where Mikel Arteta’s side will have to come from behind if they want to have a chance of reaching the final.
In the sixth encounter between French and English teams in Europe, the Parisian side finally managed to overcome the ‘gunners’ to set up their second final in the top continental competition, which they will need to secure next Wednesday at the Parc des Princes.
With Dembélé as the furthest forward, PSG quickly found the goal, leading to 20 minutes of dominance and suffocating pressure from the Parisian side. The French forward dribbled the ball and played it wide to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, perhaps the best player in the first 45 minutes, who passed it back for the former Barcelona player to unleash a shot that hit the far post before finding the back of the net (min.4).
A blow that silenced the Emirates and raised doubts in the ‘gunners’ camp, visibly uncomfortable, with Kvaratskhelia unsettling Jurriën Timber. Before the first quarter of an hour, Marquinhos tested David Raya with a header, and it wasn’t until the 24th minute, also with another header, that Mikel Arteta’s side had their first dangerous chance, a shot by Jakub Kiwior that ended up comfortably in the hands of Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Spanish goalkeeper of the English team appeared again after half an hour to stop a shot from Désiré Doué.
However, gradually the home team woke up and pressed in the final minutes of the first half. First, a weak shot from Bukayo Saka and then an acrobatic effort from Gabriel Martinelli tested Donnarumma, who just before the break won a one-on-one duel against the Brazilian. Minutes earlier, the Emirates claimed a penalty for a possible foul by Joao Neves on Mikel Merino.
It was precisely the Spanish player, playing a bit deeper today, who instilled fear in Luis Enrique’s team at the start of the second half. In a rehearsed play, a free-kick taken by Declan Rice in the 47th minute, the Navarrese player rose above the defense to put the ball into the net, but the referee disallowed the goal for an offside in the build-up.
Although it didn’t count, the goal spurred on Arteta’s side, who, despite often being hasty, troubled the Italian goalkeeper, who had to make a crucial save to deny a shot from Leandro Trossard. Meanwhile, PSG was forced to substitute the injured Dembélé, who went down in the 70th minute, for Bradley Barcola.
The newly introduced player on the field missed the chance for 2-0 after a combination with Gonçalo Ramos, a shot that went too wide; the Portuguese player, on the other hand, also had his goal denied in the 85th minute, this time by the crossbar. The 0-1 result will allow Luis Enrique’s side to go into the decisive clash in Paris with an advantage in eight days.
TECHNICAL FILE.
–RESULT: ARSENAL, 0 – PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN, 1 (0-1, at half-time).
–LINEUPS:
ARSENAL: Raya; Timber (White, min.83), Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Merino, Odegaard (Nwaneri, min.90); Saka, Martinelli; and Trossard.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN: Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Neves (Zaïre-Emery, min.89), Vitinha, Fabián; Doué (Gonçalo Ramos, min.76), Kvaratskhelia; and Dembélé (Barcola, min.70).
–GOALS:
0-1, min.4: Dembélé.
–REFEREE: Slavko Vincic (SLO). Booked Trossard (min.10) and Saka (min.43) for Arsenal and Achraf Hakimi (min.44) and Joao Neves (min.46) for Paris Saint-Germain.
–STADIUM: Emirates Stadium.
–OCCURRENCES: A minute of silence was observed for Pope Francis, who passed away last week at the age of 88.