Key occasions
7 min Martinelli wriggles clear of Hakimi, who recovers neatly to dam the cutback and concede a nook. Arsenal are everywhere PSG like an inexpensive cliche.
6 min PSG appear to be a workforce who don’t know whether or not to stay or twist. Arsenal haven’t any such catch 22 situation and feature began the fit fantastically.
4 min: Fine save by means of Donnarumma! Partey launches an excessively lengthy throw from the left that beats everybody on the close to publish and is met by means of Martinelli, 8 yards out. He knees a volley during the crowd and Donnarumma reacts in reality well to dive to his left and push the ball away.
3 min: Big probability for Rice! It’s been a assured get started from Arsenal, who’re having extra of the ball than they did firstly of ultimate week’s recreation.
And they will have to be stage on combination! Timber wins the ball simply outdoor the PSG house and crosses early to Rice, six yards out on the a ways publish. He towers everywhere the defender however heads simply broad of the left-hand publish. Donnarumma used to be immobile.
2 min “I’m pretty sure Arsenal fans will be hoping to dust off this classic in a couple of hours,” says Phil Withall. “Actually, I’m pretty sure most of them won’t, but you never know…”
1 min Peep peep! PSG kick off from left to appropriate as we watch. Arsenal win the ball and Saka has an early run at Nuno Mendes, who does neatly to get between Saka and the ball. Both left-backs have been terrific within the first leg.
The surroundings is specfreakintacular. This is it: euphoria or melancholy, not anything inbetween.
“Will this be a rumbustious feast of hectic drama, like last night?” says Charles Antaki. “Probably not. Will Arsenal men be inspired by what the women’s team did against Real Madrid? Maybe, but again, current form seems against it. Will Kvaratskhelia reach the outer limits of goal-mad passion when he slots in PSG’s third of the night? He probably won’t have cause to, so, unlikely. But there is always Bukayo Saka to spread a bit of happiness among the Arsenal faithful, and if he and Declan Rice have a good game, honour will be reasonably satisfied.”
In the decade, the industry finish of the Champions League – specifically the semi-finals – has been stuffed with unattainable twists. While I feel PSG will undergo, Arsenal have an opportunity. Balls out, Declan’s about.
A reminder of the groups
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3) Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Barcola, Doue, Kvaratskhelia.
Substitutes: Safonov, Tenas, Goncalo Ramos, Dembele, Lee, L Hernandez, Mayulu, Zaire-Emery, Lucas Beraldo, Tape, Mbaye.
Arsenal (4-3-3) David Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli.
Substitutes: Neto, Setford, Tierney, White, Zinchenko, Trossard, Jorginho, Sterling, Calafiori, Butler-Oyedeji, Henry-Francis, Nwaneri.
Referee Felix Zwayer (Germany).
Musical interlude
“Whenever a moody English group rocks up to perform in the City of Lights, I’m reminded of the excellent live album Paris by The Cure,” says Peter Oh. “Arsenal need to forget about yesterday and not worry about tomorrow. Play for Today.
Arsenal’s last Champions League final was in Paris, the agonising 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in 2006. And although that was played at the Stade de France rather than the Parc des Princes, the words ‘fate’ and ‘destiny’ may be thrown around willy-nilly should Arsenal get the job done tonight.
Declan Rice’s rallying cry (clean version)
I think you need to have full belief. We certainly have that as a group. The manager certainly drills that into us every single day. If we’re the best versions of ourselves tomorrow night, and we know we can be that, there’s no stopping us getting into that final.”
The gamers on a yellow card
Nobody. They have been wiped ahead of the semi-finals, so the one solution to pass over the general is in case you’re despatched off.
A at ease Mikel Arteta talks to TNT Sports
It’s our greatest evening for a very long time. But this isn’t the place we need to be – we need to make the general. We are very shut. We discovered a couple of issues from the primary recreation, concerning the stage of the 2 groups and the small margins. We have a large conviction that we’re gonna do it this night.
This is the place this membership merits to be. We nonetheless have such a lot to do – such a lot to win, such a lot consistency to turn – however optimistically we’re at the appropriate trajectory.
[On the return of Thomas Partey and what it means for Declan Rice] He may have extra freedom, that’s evidently. It’s a partnership that we’ve got advanced; each are very comfy in the ones positions. It will likely be a in reality difficult fit [is suddenly drowned out by booing as Arsenal’s goalkeepers come out for the warm-up] and we’ll want all our gamers – at some level we’ll want recent legs.They have been relatively direct ultimate week. We anticipated them to play a lot more however they didn’t in reality need to in opposition to our prime press. Hopefully we will be able to do it higher this night.
We face a large surroundings each and every time within the Premier League – it’s a distinct recreation, an emotional recreation. This membership has been making an attempt to achieve the general and win it for a protracted, very long time. Hopefully we will be able to play in our favour.
As neatly as Paris Saint-Germain performed on the Emirates, they wanted Gianluigi Donnarumma to provide one good save and any other even higher one.
In which David Squires continues his noble quest to end up as soon as and for all that laughter is the most productive medication
PSG workforce information: Dembele at the bench
Ousmane Dembele, who scored the one purpose ultimate week, isn’t are compatible sufficient to begin after maintaining a knock in that recreation. Bradley Barcola replaces him; that’s the one trade from the primary leg on the Emirates.
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3) Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Barcola, Doue, Kvaratskhelia.
Substitutes: Safonov, Tenas, Goncalo Ramos, Dembele, Lee, L Hernandez, Mayulu, Zaire-Emery, Lucas Beraldo, Tape, Mbaye.
Arsenal workforce information: Partey returns
The Arsenal workforce is as anticipated, with a unmarried trade from the primary leg. Thomas Partey returns from suspension instead of Leandro Trossard, so Mikel Merino will transfer again into assault.
Jurrien Timber is are compatible to play at right-back after lacking the weekend defeat to Bournemouth. Jorginho and Riccardo Calafiori go back to the bench.
Arsenal (4-3-3) David Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli.
Substitutes: Neto, Setford, Tierney, White, Zinchenko, Trossard, Jorginho, Sterling, Calafiori, Butler-Oyedeji, Henry-Francis, Nwaneri.
“Well,” says James Humphries in line with my query about catenaccio. “Obviously Inter shot their bolt.”
Arf, superb.
“Equally, PSG-Barca might have been the final of the century,” provides James Humphries.
That rings a bell in my memory of one in all my favorite David Lacey strains (and by means of heaven it’s a protracted checklist). When Sheffield United performed Wimbledon in October 1990, at a time when each groups have been hellbent on finding grass within the sky, Lacey started his fit document with a gem of a line. Thanks to Jason Rodrigues on the Guardian Research Department for sending me the pdf.
“Of course, the important matters are now done – Motherwell are safe for their 41st consecutive year in the top flight – but I think Inter might be the team best placed to do PSG,” says James Humphries. “Solid defenders, happy to sit back and let the opposition wear themselves out, then strike on the break? That’s catenaccio, baby! This falls down a bit for Arsenal-Inter, admittedly.”
How will we reconcile the concept that of catenaccio with that orgy of objectives ultimate evening?
Read Barney Ronay preview
Can Mikel Arteta be told and adapt within the area of every week from the way in which PSG pinned Arsenal’s full-backs deep in their very own part and emptied the midfield, taking part in with Arsenal’s set means of urgent to create the type of area that resulted in the one purpose? Arteta isn’t a gambler, or an recommend of ingenious freedom. But from time to time this quantities to pragmatism, too.
Last season’s quarter-final defeat by means of Bayern Munich boiled right down to small main points, discovering a unmarried past due purpose, adapting within the second. This is what is needed in Paris, up to the outcome even, if just for proof that this workforce can nonetheless broaden and make stronger.
Preamble
Hello, excellent night time and welcome to are living protection of the Champions League semi-final 2d leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. The unhealthy information for those groups is that they’ve exactly 0.00% probability of serving up a banquet to match with Inter v Barcelona ultimate evening.
The excellent information is they don’t must: ultimate evening used to be 50 sunglasses of WTF, a fit we’ll discuss endlessly, however all that in reality issues to PSG and Arsenal is achieving the general and protecting alive the danger to grow to be European champions for the primary time. Arsenal gained’t care in the event that they win 1-0 after overtime after which 1-0 on consequences.
PSG get started as lovely robust favourites after their cool-headed victory on the Emirates. Before the primary leg, Mikel Arteta requested the supporters to convey their boots; the day before today Declan Rice reminded his teammates to convey their balls, the larger the easier.
Arsenal have by no means gained a European tie after dropping the primary leg at house, even though they have been successfully part a purpose in the back of once they gained away to Juventus in 1980. The winners will play Inter in Munich on 31 May. It’ll more than likely take the efficiency of an entire life for Arsenal to get there. But as ultimate evening reminded us, within the knockout level of the Champions League, just about the rest is conceivable.
Kick off 8pm BST.