Who: Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
What: UEFA Champions League semifinal, first leg
Where: Emirates Stadium, London
When: Tuesday at 8pm (19:00 GMT)
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Thirteen-time English top-flight league victors Arsenal continue their quest to win a maiden UEFA Champions League title when they clash with PSG in the first leg of their semifinal at Emirates.
The Gunners booked their place in the final four of the tournament by thoroughly outplaying defending champions Real Madrid to win their quarterfinal series 5-1 on aggregate.
PSG’s road to the Champions League semifinal stage has been equally impressive. Les Parisiens caused one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, defeating Liverpool on penalties in the round of 16 after the teams finished their two-leg series tied at 1-1.
PSG have also been utterly dominant in their domestic Ligue 1 competition this season, recording a stunning 30-game unbeaten streak that only ended on Friday in a 3-1 home defeat against Nice.
Here is all to know before the semifinal opener between two of the most dynamic football clubs in Europe:
When did Arsenal and PSG last play each other in the Champions League?
The teams last played on October 1 in a group phase fixture.
First-half goals by Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka helped Arsenal ease to a 2-0 home win over PSG at Emirates Stadium.
But PSG have improved dramatically since then due in large part to manager Luis Enrique’s decision to drop star striker Ousmane Dembele against Arsenal for disciplinary reasons – an action that inspired the France forward’s superb run of form.
Who did Arsenal and PSG defeat to reach the semifinal stage?
PSG upset Premier League leaders Liverpool in the round of 16, dramatically winning the second leg in a penalty shootout.
They then knocked out another top English club, Aston Villa, at the quarterfinal stage, winning 5-4 on aggregate and advancing to their third Champions League semifinals in five years.
Arsenal, in addition to causing a major boil-over by defeating Real Madrid in the quarters, destroyed Dutch-side PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on aggregate in the round of 16.
Team news: Arsenal
Manager Mikel Arteta faces a couple of key selection headaches with the number one issue being who will replace key midfielder Thomas Partey, who will sit out this match against PSG with a one-game suspension. Mikel Merino is tipped to replace the Ghanaian international with Leandro Trossard slotting into the forward line in Merino’s place.
On the injury front, Jorginho, who would have been the most suitable replacement for Partey, is expected to miss Tuesday’s match as he recovers from a rib injury. Defenders Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori are doubtful as both recover from knee injuries.
Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all sidelined for the rest of the season.
Team news: PSG
In a rare occurrence for this late in the season, PSG manager Luis Enrique’s squad is injury-free for Tuesday’s match against Arsenal in London.
Despite the team losing its 30-game unbeaten streak in that uncharacteristic 3-1 drubbing, Enrique is expected to retain the same starting XI for their Champions League fixture with the possible exception being Desire Doue’s demotion to make way for Bradley Barcola in the midfield.
Mentor-protegee manager battle
Arteta will have to beat one of the most influential figures in his football life to advance to the Champions League final.
Standing in his way is a close friend who played a major role in his Spanish compatriot’s impressive transition from the pitch to the dugout.
Enrique was a senior star at Barcelona when Arteta started his playing career at the Camp Nou, a period that had a major impact on his managerial philosophy with Arsenal.
“He was extremely supportive with the young players. He was one of the main characters by far. I have really good memories of him,” Arteta said.
“What I love about him is wherever he’s been, as a player or a manager, his fingerprints are all over the place.
“You can sense it’s his team with the way his players behave, the way they want to attack and dominate games.”
Possible lineups:
Arsenal possible starting XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Merino, Odegaard; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
PSG possible starting XI: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Ruiz, Vitinha, Neves; Barcola, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
Player to watch: Ousmane Dembele (PSG)
The gifted French forward overcame a slow start to the season to reel off one of the greatest offensive performances in Europe this season.
In 44 domestic league fixtures, the 27-year-old Dembele scored 32 goals and recorded 12 assists to fuel PSG’s incredible 30-match unbeaten run. His contribution in front of goal was pivotal to Les Parisiens winning the Ligue 1 title with an astounding six games remaining in the season.
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