By Matt Smith
In the first leg, PSG secured an important victory by a single goal, with Ousmane Dembélé striking after just a few minutes. Luis Enrique’s side held on to take the advantage heading into the second leg on their own turf.
Team news
Arsenal received a major boost this week with both Martin Ødegaard and Jurrien Timber involved in training ahead of the second leg. Timber missed the Gunners’ game against Bournemouth at the weekend, while Ødegaard suffered a knock against the Cherries.
Dembélé was forced off against Arsenal in the first leg, but the French forward did return to training earlier this week. With the Ligue 1 title already wrapped up, Enrique was able to make 10 changes for their defeat at Strasbourg over the weekend, meaning his squad should be fit and rested for the Champions League fixture.
PSG’s defensive solidity doesn’t get the credit
When discussing PSG in the Champions League this season, Enrique’s attacking quality is regularly praised, and rightly so. The likes of Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Bradley Barcola are frightening options, and as a result, their defensive solidity might not get the credit it deserves.
PSG have conceded just 0.9 goals per game in the Champions League this campaign, with only Arsenal, Liverpool, and Inter Milan managing fewer. The French side will need to be at their best defensively, as the Gunners will be looking to assert control in search of a way back in the tie.
Arsenal almost perfect at both ends
The Gunners have enjoyed an impressive campaign in Europe after struggling to keep up with Liverpool in the Premier League title race. Mikel Arteta’s side are known for their defensive solidity, but they’ve also been scoring for fun on the continent.
A lot has been said about Arsenal’s need for a striker, but they’ve been spreading goals around the team. Only Barcelona have scored more goals per game in the Champions League, despite no Arsenal player scoring more than five times in the competition.
Mendes vs. Saka battle could be the difference
Bukayo Saka is undoubtedly the danger man for the Gunners, but Nuno Mendes managed to keep him relatively quiet in the opening leg. Shutting down Saka can often be the key to beating Arsenal, and if they do so once again, we could see PSG advance into the final.
Mendes won six out of seven of his ground duels and all of his aerial battles against the Gunners last time out, with Saka able to produce just one shot, a long-distance effort that barely troubled the goalkeeper. Arteta will be desperate to see more from the England international, but Mendes won’t let him have it easy.
Prediction
PSG have looked deadly in transition this season, so setting up to defend and hitting Arsenal on the counter could suit them. We’re going for a 1-0 PSG victory, taking them through to the final with a 2-0 aggregate win.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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