Paris Saint-Germain is leaving England on a excessive once more and inside touching distance of a second Champions League remaining. Ousmane Dembele’s early aim gave PSG a 1-0 win over Arsenal on Tuesday (April 29, 2025) in the primary leg of their semifinal, and solely a few late misses prevented the benefit from rising greater.
“It was a great night,” PSG midfielder Vitinha stated. “We could have scored more but we are glad for 1-0 and we will do everything in our power to go to the final.”
Having already eradicated Premier League champion Liverpool and Aston Villa in the knockout levels, PSG outplayed Arsenal as properly in a stadium the place it misplaced 2-0 in the league section in October.
This youthful PSG aspect has come a good distance since then, and as soon as once more confirmed that it is a higher workforce with out celebrity Kylian Mbappe — whose Real Madrid misplaced 3-0 on the Emirates Stadium in the quarterfinals.
Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain celebrates scoring his workforce’s first aim in the course of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg match between Arsenal FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Emirates Stadium on April 29, 2025 in London, England.
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Despite that latest historical past, PSG confirmed no hesitation in taking the sport to Arsenal from the beginning. And Dembele opened the scoring in the fourth minute after he was left on their lonesome in the world and was picked out by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for a first-time end that snuck in by way of the far put up.
The aim got here after 26 consecutive passes in the buildup, which stats supplier Opta stated was probably the most for PSG in a Champions League sport since not less than 2003-04.
“We showed the kind of team we are,” PSG coach Luis Enrique stated. “We tried to play our way and scored the goal early playing the way we play.” It was the hosts who looked affected by the moment — and the absence of suspended midfielder Thomas Partey — in their first Champions League semifinal since 2009.
They couldn’t cope with PSG’s pace in transition and the visitors’ lead easily could have been bigger after a dominant first half.
“They started quick with a goal and they dominated the first 15-20 minutes,” Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya said. “It’s only halftime, we take positives.”
Kvaratskhelia induced Arsenal issues all through and had a penalty attraction turned down in the seventeenth minute and a shot saved by David Raya in the twenty sixth.
Raya made a greater save in the thirty first to disclaim Desire Doue as PSG frequently was the extra threatening workforce.
At the opposite finish, Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Arsenal an equalizer on the stroke of halftime with a one-handed save to maintain out a shot from Gabriel Martinelli.
With former Arsenal supervisor Arsene Wenger trying on in the stands, the Gunners improved in the second half.
Mikel Merino thought he had equalized shortly after the break when he headed in a free kick from Declan Rice, however it was disallowed for offside after a prolonged VAR test.
Donnarumma, who performed a key half in the wins over Liverpool and Aston Villa, then needed to make one other low one-handed finger-tip save to steer Leandro Trossard’s shot broad after a fast counter in the 56th, however that was as shut as Arsenal got here to an equalizer.
“That’s the work of a goalkeeper, no? Save the workforce,” Luis Enrique said. “They work every day for that.”
PSG substitutes Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos both had chances to double the lead late on when clear through on goal. But Barcola shot narrowly wide and Ramos rattled the crossbar to keep Arsenal close going into the second leg in Paris next week.
“We have to go to Paris and win the game. We are more than capable of doing it,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “If you want to be in the Champions League final, you have to do something special. And we are going to need to do something special in Paris.” Both teams are looking for a first Champions League title, and second final. PSG lost to Borussia Dortmund at this stage last year. The French side lost to Bayern Munich in its only Champions League final in 2020, while Arsenal was runner-up to Barcelona in 2006.
Barcelona hosts Inter Milan on Wednesday in the other semifinal.
Published – April 30, 2025 10:40 am IST
