PSG secured a solid if not spectacular first-leg victory over Arsenal at the Emirates last week, with an early Ousmane Dembele strike proving enough. The Parisians found a way through the Gunners’ defence early in the game, with the winger getting his shot away past David Raya to secure the lead and what proved to be the matchwinner.
PSG looked rampant in the early parts of the game, but soon the game was played on equal powers, as both teams could not find another goal. Taking the advantage back to Paris will be a big boost for Luis Enrique’s men, as they are now the favourites to go through to the Final in Munich.
Having lost their unbeaten status in Ligue 1 before the first leg with Arsenal, PSG suffered another loss at the weekend this time to Strasbourg. They are now winless in their last three domestic games, although Enrique would care less given the league is already wrapped up, and named a much-changed side at the weekend, as the entire focus is on the second leg with Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta must find solutions for his team’s disappointing displays since the Real Madrid win at the Santiago Bernabeu. They have secured only one win in the league since which came against Ipswich Town, and are winless in their last three games across all competitions.
If the weekend’s encounter with Bournemouth was a way to prepare for the second leg, then Arsenal did not convince the fans inside the Emirates. Having taken the lead through Declan Rice, the Gunners put in a faulty second-half performance, as they were undone by two Bournemouth set pieces as Andoni Iraola’s side secured a historic double over Arsenal in the Premier League.
Arteta also named a strong side to face the Cherries, which has worried the fans more than the loss. The focus for the Spanish manager will be on Wednesday’s encounter in Paris, as Arsenal are still in contention to reach the Final in Munich, although it would take a big performance reminiscence of their display at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The big worry for Enrique is the fitness of star man Dembele, who suffered a problem in the first leg against Arsenal. The club have since confirmed it’s a hamstring problem, which does cast a huge doubt on his chances to participate in the second leg, although there’s no further clarity on whether he’s available for Wednesday.
Enrique does have solutions if Dembele was to miss out as Goncalo Ramos could be the ideal choice to replace the Frenchman in the false-nine role. The Portuguese star does not offer the versatility of Dembele in the position, but in any case, he is a lethal striker on his day.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue are the likely starters for this one, with Bradley Barcola a big option off the bench for PSG. Enrique is unlikely to change much from the defensive and midfield setups, as there might be an identical lineup there from the first leg.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3) – Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Doue, Ramos, Kvaratskhelia
Arteta named a strong side for Saturday barring Jurrien Timber, with suggestions that he was rested. The right-back has since returned to training leading to the second leg, while Riccardo Calafiori was also spotted with the main group, which could be a big boost for Arsenal.
There were some fitness niggles with a few key stars like Mikel Merino, but he too was spotted in training. The big boost for Arsenal would be the availability of Thomas Partey after serving a suspension in the first leg, as the Ghanaian will slot straight into the midfield setup.
Arteta is only expected to make one change with the return of Partey, as Leandro Trossard could drop out of the lineup as Merino could be favoured in the centre-forward role. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are expected to form a front three for Arsenal, with Rice reverting to his usual role on the left-hand side of the midfield.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3) – Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli
The Gunners captain has come under a lot of criticism for his underwhelming displays over the last few months, and the first leg was another such instance. There are questions about whether Odegaard is fully fit this season and if that is affecting his performances, but overall he has been on and off in his game.
Ahead of this crucial trip to Paris, which is effectively their most important game of the season and probably for over 20 years. Hence, there will be eyeballs on Odegaard and how he leads his side by example on the pitch, as Arsenal generally tends to do well when he’s on song.
Arsenal have underwhelmed during the last few weeks, including their first-leg clash against PSG at the Emirates. The confidence might be a bit low, although there’s an argument Arteta has been preserving the player’s energies for this second-leg clash, which could indeed be a blockbuster of sorts. While they do have a chance to go through, PSG will use their slender advantage to use and put in a different performance.
Enrique has been at this stage before and will look to utilise his side’s entire energy to get to the Final. Their single-goal advantage certainly gives them an edge in this clash, but they might ultimately go through as this game could end in an eventful draw in Paris.
