“It’s been a great night,” said PSG midfielder Vitinha. “We could have scored more points, but we were happy 1-0 and we’re going to do everything we can to make it to the finals.”
PSG has eliminated Premier League champions Liverpool and Aston Villa in the knockout stage, so it also surpassed Arsenal in a stadium, and in October it lost 2-0 in the league stage.
The young PSG side has come a long way since then and again shows that there is no superstar Kylian Mbappe, a better team – Kylian Mbappe’s Real Madrid lost 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the quarterfinals.
Despite recent history, PSG has no hesitation when it comes to bringing the game to Arsenal from the very beginning. Dembele started the scoring in the fourth minute after being left alone in the area and was picked out by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to get the first finishing match and sneak through the posts in the distance. The goal was made after 26 consecutive passes, which STATS provider Opta said, at least since 2003-04, PSG was the most. “We showed off our team,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique. “We tried to play and scored goals early.”
In its first Champions League semi-final since 2009, it was the host who looked to be influenced by suspended midfielder Thomas Partey.
They can’t handle PSG’s pace in transition and it’s easy for visitors to get bigger after dominating the first half.
“They started quickly from the goal and dominated the first 15-20 minutes,” said Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. “It’s just halftime, we have to be positive.”
Kvaratskhelia caused Arsenal problems throughout the process and refused a penalty appeal in the 17th minute and was saved by David Raya on the 26th.
Raya made a better preservation in the 31st edition to deny desire Doue, as PSG continues to be the more threatening team.
On the other end, Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Arsenal’s one-handed save in the equalizer in the half to prevent Gabriel Martinelli’s shot.
The second half improved as former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger watched the Gunners in the stands.
Mikel Merino believes that he was equalized shortly after the break when he advanced from Declan Rice’s free kick, but after a long var check, he crossed.
Donnarumma played a key role in the victory over Liverpool and Aston Villa, and then had to save another low-hand’s fingertip to a shot from Steer Leandro Trossard after the 56th fast counter, but that was as close to the equalizer as Arsenal.
“That’s the goalkeeper’s job, not saving the team,” said Luis Enrique. “They work for it every day.”
PSG replaced Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos, both of which had a chance to be late for a clear goal. But Barcola’s shooting was narrow and Ramos rattled to keep Arsenal closed for next week’s second leg.
“We have to go to Paris to win the game. We have the ability to do that,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. “If you want to go to the Champions League final, you have to do something special. We need to do something special in Paris.”
Both teams are looking for the first Champions League title and the second final. Last year, PSG lost to Dortmund’s Dortmund. France lost to Bayern Munich in its only Champions League final in 2020, while Arsenal won Barcelona in 2006.
Barcelona hosted Inter Milan in another semifinal on Wednesday.
