PSG have only won one of their last four games in all competitions, but they have won four of their previous five matches at home
Paris Saint-Germain have a slender one-goal advantage as they prepare to host Arsenal in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final.
The Ligue 1 champions raced into a fourth-minute lead in last week’s first leg thanks to a strike from Ousmane Dembele, and Luis Enrique’s team are the clear favourites to progress to the final.
Les Parisiens, who won the French title a month ago, were beaten 2-1 by Strasbourg in the league on Saturday, while Arsenal fell short against Bournemouth domestically, also losing 2-1 on home soil.
Team News
Winger Dembele was replaced in the first leg with a hamstring injury but Enrique has said he is making good progress and seems likely to feature.
Goncalo Ramos is on stand-by to fill in up front if Dembele cannot start, while Lee Kang-in is unlikely to make the squad after suffering an injury against Strasbourg.
Enrique practically changed his first XI for the defeat at the weekend, so the hosts should be refreshed and ready to go.
Arsenal’s Thomas Partey is back from suspension and should go straight back into the visitors’ line-up, but defender Jurrien Timber is a doubt after he suffered an injury against Bournemouth.
Jorginho, Gabriel, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu are all still recovering from injury and are unavailable.
The stats
PSG have only won one of their last four games in all competitions, but they have won four of their previous five matches at home.
Enrique’s side have only lost two of their seven home games in the Champions League this season, losing 2-1 to Atletico Madrid and 1-0 to Liverpool.
Arsenal have failed to win any of their last three matches, losing back-to-back games to PSG and Bournemouth.
However, the Gunners are unbeaten in seven games on their travels in all competitions.
Prediction
PSG deserve to be favourites for Wednesday’s tie, with the French outfit already crowned champions domestically, while they have recently beaten Liverpool and Aston Villa in Europe.
Arsenal cannot be overlooked, though, as they beat reigning champions Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.
Furthermore, the Gunners’ away record in recent weeks is very good and they will be tough to beat once again on Wednesday.
Arsenal have already beaten PSG 2-0 in the Champions League back in October – although that League Phase clash was at the Emirates – and they will hope to draw on that experience on Wednesday.
PSG only need a draw to progress into the next round and there is no need for them to take any unnecessary risks to go for the win.
Arsenal’s recent away form suggests they can find the back of the net, but PSG should have enough about them to earn at least a share of the spoils on the night to seal their place in the final in Munich at the end of the month.
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