With a goal in the fourth minute of play from Ousmane Dembele, Paris Saint-Germain has moved one step closer to making their first Champions League final since 2020 after defeating Arsenal 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Arsenal had the better chances of the two sides, but all it took was one connection from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Dembele on a mishit shot to put PSG ahead, and then Gianluigi Donnarumma held strong to keep things where they were.
The Italian keeper made five saves during the match but it's his save on Gabriel Martinelli that was a stunning one. With Martinelli streaking down the pitch, the Brazilian kept his shot low, and Donnarumma was able to get to the lowest point in his net to stop it, keeping a clean sheet. Donnarumma has been immense in the Champions League knockout rounds for PSG, and he'll be needed to push them to a UCL final.
The Gunners were able to adjust after 20 minutes of dominance from PSG, but they couldn't find a finishing touch. Arsenal won the xG battle 1.62 to 1.07 and saw a goal from Mikel Merino ruled out during the match, so anything can happen in the second leg. That will take place in Paris on May 7, and can also be watched, as always, on CBS and Paramount+.
In the end, PSG's defense did a good job of limiting chances from the Arsenal star trio of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice. Real Madrid weren't able to do that, leading to a heavy loss, and PSG's midfield trio did a great job of winning their battles and controlling tempo. Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha and Joao Neves are able to interchange while picking up attackers and filling in for fullbacks Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi when they go forward.
Arsenal will need a response for this in the second leg, and it'll be even harder at a rocking Parc des Princes. If Dembele's star shines brightest in the second leg, PSG will book their place in the UCL final, but Mikel Arteta's defense has enough on their side to stop that from happening.