Who is Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) vs. Arsenal?
What: UEFA Champions League semifinal, first leg
Where: Emirates Stadium, London
When: Tuesday at 8pm (19:00 GMT)
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When they face PSG in the first leg of their semifinal match at Emirates, thirteen-time champions of English football league will face Arsenal in the title match.
The Gunners won their quarterfinal series 5-1 on aggregate, sealing their place in the tournament’s final four by completely defeating defending champion Real Madrid.
PSG’s progress to the semifinals of the Champions League was equally impressive. After finishing their two-leg series tied at 1-1, Les Parisiens delivered one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, defeating Liverpool on penalties in the round of 16.
PSG’s impressive 30-game unbeaten streak, which ended on Friday with a 3-1 home defeat to Nice, also ended their unwavering dominance in their domestic Ligue 1 campaign.
Before the semifinal match between two of Europe’s most exciting football clubs, everything is revealed:
When did PSG and Arsenal last last compete in the Champions League?
The last game of the group phase was on October 1.
Arsenal thrashed PSG 2-0 at home thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.
However, PSG have grown significantly since then as a result of manager Luis Enrique’s decision to fire star striker Ousmane Dembele for disciplinary reasons against Arsenal, which gave rise to the France forward’s outstanding run of form.
Who was defeated by Arsenal and PSG to reach the semifinals?
In a penalty shootout, PSG defeated Premier League leaders Liverpool in the round of 16 and won the match-tying penalty shootout.
Then, in the quarterfinals, they defeated another prestigious English club, Aston Villa, 5-4 on aggregate, making it their third Champions League semifinals in five years.
Arsenal also caused a major boil-over when they defeated Real Madrid in the quarterfinals by overall destroying Dutch side PSV Eindhoven 9-3.
Arsenal team news
Key player Thomas Partey, who will miss this match against PSG due to a one-game suspension, will be the number one choice, according to manager Mikel Arteta. Leandro Trossard will join Merino’s forward line in his place, and Mikkel Merino is expected to take his place in the Ghanaian international.
Jorginho, who would have made the best match for Partey, is expected to miss Tuesday’s game as he recovers from a rib injury. Due to their recovery from knee injuries, defendants Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White are doubtful.
The rest of the season has been sidelined for Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Kai Havertz.
PSG team news
PSG manager Luis Enrique’s squad is injury-free for Tuesday’s game against Arsenal in London, a rarity for this late in the season.
Enrique is expected to keep the same starting lineup for their Champions League game despite the team’s 30-game unbeaten run that ended with an uncharacteristic 3-1 drubbing. Desire Doue’s demotion to make room for Bradley Barcola in the middle.
Manager-mentor conflict
To reach the Champions League final, Arteta must defeat one of his most powerful players in the game.
A close friend, who was key to his Spanish compatriot’s impressive transition from the pitch to the dugout, stands in his way.
When Arteta began his professional football career at Barcelona, a time that significantly affected his managerial philosophy at Arsenal. Enrique was a senior star at Barcelona.
“He had a lot of patience for the young players.” By far, he was one of the main characters. He is very close to my heart, Arteta said.
Wherever he has been, whether as a player or manager, what I love about him is how he has left his mark everywhere.
You can tell that it’s his team because of how his players act and how they play an aggressive and domineering game.
lineups that might exist:
Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Rice, Merino, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Martinelli, and others are potential starting positions for Arsenal.
Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes, Ruiz, Vitinha, Neves, Barcola, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia could start for PSG in the starting lineup.
Watch out for Ousmane Dembele (PSG) as a player.
One of Europe’s best offensive performances this season was overcame by the talented French forward.
The 27-year-old Dembele led PSG’s incredible 30-game unbeaten run by scoring 32 goals and adding 12 assists in 44 domestic league games. With only six games left in the season, Les Parisiens’ remarkable six games of league play still to come came thanks to his contribution in front of goal.
Source: Aljazeera
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