By Victor Kanayo
Paris Saint-Germain are aiming to play in the final of this season’s UEFA Champions League after handing a 1–0 home defeat to towering Premier League side Arsenal in the first-leg semi-final clash.
PSG’s victory came with a lone goal from French star Ousmane Dembélé on Tuesday night.
Dembélé struck in the opening minutes at the Emirates Stadium, and Luis Enrique’s side held on to the lead with a composed display that kept Arsenal at bay.
PSG will head into the second leg at the Parc des Princes on 7 May as favourites to reach the final against either Barcelona or Inter Milan, as they look to win the tournament for the first time.
Barça and Inter will face off in the second semi-final encounter on Wednesday night.
Managed by Mikel Arteta, Arsenal had enjoyed an 18-game unbeaten run before the sudden crash.
The Gunners had beaten holders Real Madrid 5–1 on aggregate to reach their first Champions League semi-final since losing to Manchester United in 2009.
They could not replicate the swaggering display that blew Madrid away 3–0 in the first leg, despite a frenzied atmosphere as kick-off approached.
For their part, PSG had already eliminated Premier League champions Liverpool in the last 16 and Aston Villa in the quarter-final, after coming back from two goals down to beat Manchester City in the league phase.
Arsenal were the one English side they had failed to conquer, having lost 2–0 in north London in October.
