The Parisians take a one-goal lead into Paris for the decisive semi-final second leg against Arsenal, after Ousmane Dembele’s 33rd goal of the season proved the difference between the two teams. While Luis Enrique’s men will still be wary of Arsenal’s threat, their home form this season at the Parc De Princes will provide a sense of reassurance, with PSG winning 13/16 home fixtures so far this campaign. Having clinched Ligue One with six games to spare, the French side can also afford to rest several starters against Strasbourg this weekend for the decisive leg on May 8.
This week will be crucial for Luis Enrique as the Spanish boss is sweating on the fitness of star forward Ousmane Dembele. The 27-year-old was concerningly forced off the pitch in the 70th minute with what seemed to be an uncomfortable knock, and the club have confirmed scans will take place during the week.
If Dembele is deemed not fit to take part in the semi-final’s second leg, it is likely young winger Bradley Barcola will come straight in as a like-for-like swap to preserve Enrique’s desired fluid front three. Enrique may also opt for a more traditional set-up on Thursday with a specialised number nine, and in that case, Goncalo Ramos will line up as the vocal point. The rest of the squad, barring fitness issues suffered during the week, is expected to be unchanged.
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Mikel Arteta was forced into a midfield rejig after powerful anchor Thomas Partey was suspended for the first leg for picking up his third yellow card last round against Real Madrid. The Ghanaian is set to come straight back into Arteta’s starting lineup for the crunch time leg, allowing Declan Rice to return to a more free-roaming role higher up the pitch seen in recent weeks. Mikel Merino, Arteta’s ‘Mr Fix It’ this season, was tasked to slot into midfield in the absence of Partey, but is set to return to the centre forward role next week upon Partey’s return, where he has done exceptionally well amid Arsenal’s injury crisis.
With Merino likely to return to his previous striker role, Belgian Leandro Trossard is likely to drop out, as Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli remain the preferred pair out on the wings. Mikel Arteta named an exceptionally young bench for the first leg at the Emirates, evident by the presence of five academy products on the subs list, including Ethan Nwaneri. The man whom Nwaneri replaced, Martin Odegaard, has been under fire for his poor showings of late, but it would be a shock to see Arteta drop his captain for the club’s most important game of the campaign.
Prediction: PSG to progress
Leandro Trossard of Arsenal reacts after a missed chance. (Photo by Alex Pantling – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Inter Milan further proved their credentials as Champions League challengers after leaving Barcelona with the tie level at 3-3. Simone Inzaghi’s men had suffered a blip in form in recent weeks, and a big part of the drop-off was down to the absence of dynamic striker Marcus Thuram and bombing right-wing-back Denzel Dumfries.
The pair made their return against Barcelona in the opening semi-final leg, and no surprise, the Nerazzurri looked back to their pragmatic best, going ahead 2-0 within the first half an hour. The pair combined to score the fastest goal in the Champions League semi-final inside 30 seconds, when Dumfries’ cross found Thuram, who sensationally flicked it past a diving Szczesny. Barcelona could not handle Dumfries’ immense athleticism on the right flank, as the flying Dutchman finished as man of the match with two goals and an assist.
In more worrying news for Inter, leading goalscorer Lautaro Martinez was subbed off at half-time after sustaining a muscle injury late in the first half, which has now been confirmed to be a strain of the flexor muscles.
The club expect him to be fit for the second leg, but if the Argentine does not get up, his replacement in Spain, Mehdi Taremi, proved an adept deputy during his cameo. An area Inzaghi’s side will need to focus on heading into the decisive tie is further solidifying the left-hand side of defence against Barca’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.
Left-wing-back Federico Dimarco notably struggled against the fleet-footed Yamal, and required the support of left-sided midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan regularly. Given Mkhitaryan is 36 years of age, the short turnaround may force the Italian manager to pick Davide Frattesi or Piotr Zielińskii to provide the additional athletic cover.
Barcelona won’t be too distraught at the first-leg result, but will feel the need to initiate changes, with right-back Jules Kounde set to be a forced one through injury. The important Frenchman was replaced by Eric Garcia in the 42nd minute and is now ruled out for up to three weeks with a distal biceps femorosis issue. Speedy left-back Alejandro Balde is also recovering well from his hamstring injury, and if fit by Wednesday, will replace Gerard Martin, who was again substituted early at half-time.
Ferran Torres, despite netting a goal in the 3-3 classic, will find his starting position under fire if Robert Lewandowski is fit and available for the return leg. The Polish striker has been sidelined since April 18 in Barca’s 4-3 win against Celta Vigo due to a hamstring pull, but reports are emerging that the 36-year-old is giving himself the best chance to return. Despite performing impressively in his half played, making several goal-saving clearances when Inter were pushing in the second half, centre-back Ronald Araujo is unlikely to be given a starting berth, given the incredible track record of Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez as Hansi Flick’s centre-back pairing. Wojciech Szczesny was preferred to Marc-Andre ter Stegen for the first leg and should keep his post between the sticks in the second leg despite a costly misjudgment for Inter’s third goal.
Prediction: Inter to advance
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