Paris Saint-Germain is one match away from reaching the UEFA Champions League. Standing in their way is a very talented Arsenal FC side.
The fact that PSG will carry a one-goal advantage into the second leg of the tie works in their favor. They’ll also host Arsenal at the Parc des Princes. If they can draw or win the match, well, PSG supporters will be looking for a guide to securing UCL final tickets.
It won’t be easy to advance past the Gunners. Mikel Arteta’s side will welcome back Thomas Partey from suspension, and Arsenal did beat PSG 2-0 earlier this season, so they know what it will take to upset PSG.
For PSG, they’ll need to play a mistake-free game and rely on their quality and their home supporters to carry them into the final. However, the slight knock to Ousmane Dembélé could force manager Luis Enrique to make some changes.
As we prepare for the match this Wednesday, here is how the manager may set up his squad:
Formation: 4-3-3
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma
Defenders: Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi
Midfielders: João Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz
Attackers: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué
If this lineup looks familiar, that’s because it’s the same lineup that beat Arsenal 1-0 last week. At this point in the competition, you shouldn’t be making any major changes. This is the lineup that has carried PSG this far, so Luis Enrique should go with it once again.
Now, if Dembélé can’t go for a full 90 minutes, the manager may be forced to get creative. One option may be to move Kvaratskhelia to the center of the attack and bring on Bradley Barcola to play on the left wing.
The midfield is another place where Luis Enrique could make a change at some point in the match, and that is replacing Ruiz with Warren Zaïre-Emery. The young Frenchman hasn’t been at his best this season, but he brings a little more defensive ability to the midfield than Ruiz. As the game goes on, Zaïre-Emery may be the player Luis Enrique brings on to see out the match.
Ultimately, this match will come down to Gianluigi Donnarumma’s ability to make key saves off set pieces. It was clear in the first match that Arsenal wanted to exploit this advantage, and Donnarumma had to keep the defense organized and use his height to punch the ball away from danger.
If PSG can win this match, they’ll play in their first final since the 2020 final against FC Bayern Munich.
