PLAYER RATINGS | PSG 2-1 Arsenal (agg. 3-1): Hosts qualify for their second Champions League final | OneFootball

Luis Enrique was under no illusion regarding the effort it would take for Paris Saint-Germain to hold on to their one-goal lead at the Parc des Princes to qualify for the Champions League final. The Asturian had left top scorer Ousmane Dembélé, ostensibly still recovering from a hamstring issue, on the bench, while the Gunners showed up to the French capital with a reinforced midfield.

In search of a first final in nineteen years, Mikel Arteta’s men laid siege on the home defence straight from kick-off, with only an excellent Gianluigi Donnarumma keeping them at bay. The Italian, far from his error-prone perfomances of past European campaigns, will have delivered match-saving heroics while under pressure throughout the season for Les Parisiens.

Once the initial pressure had subsided, though, Luis Enrique’s men were able to mount one incisive counter after another. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia would hit the post and Désiré Doué would squander a one-on-one before the hosts found the back of the net on the half-hour mark, with Fabián Ruiz sending a driving shot into the top right cornerfrom the edge of the box.

The second half would see a markedly more assured defensive display from PSG, although David Raya’s save from Vitinha’s penalty hinted at some late-game nerves. Those fears were quickly laid to rest by Achraf Hakimi, whose curled finish from Ousmane Dembélé’s assist doubled his team’s lead on the night.

Bukaya Saka, comfortably Arsenal’s most consistent threat across the two legs, would pull one back minutes later. Save for an admittedly difficult open-goal chance for the England winger himself soon after, though, the visitors scarcely threatened in the concluding stages.

On the strength of their group-stage showing, it would have been difficult to imagine Paris Saint-Germain qualifying for their second Champions League final this season – not least in such assured fashion. Luis Enrique’s men, though, are now two wins away from completing an unlikely Treble.

PSG player ratings

Gianluigi Donnarumma, 9 – The Italian was once again decisive on the continental stage, keeping Les Parisiens afloat in the opening twenty minutes before making a string of saves over the rest of the game to rule out any chance of a comeback.

Achraf Hakimi, 6

Marquinhos, 5 – The Brazilian eventually settled into the match after a frantic opening twenty minutes, but was beaten by Leandro Trossard for Arsenal’s goal. His long-range passing was nevertheless vital in relieving the pressure when Arsenal looked closest to mounting a comeback.

Willian Pacho, 7

Nuno Mendes, 4 – The Portuguese international struggled to contain Bukayo Saka (and picked up an early yellow card for a challenge on Timber), with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s tracking back instead proving decisive in keeping PSG’s left flank safe.

João Neves, 7

Vitinha, 5

Fabián Ruiz, 8 – Aside from scoring the first Champions League goal of his career at the best possible time, the Andalusian turned in a dominant performance in midfield, winning all of his challenges and winning the ball back a dozen times.

Bradley Barcola, 5

Désiré Doué, 6 – Led the line from kick-off following Ousmane Dembélé’s hamstring knock, and drove the hosts’ counter-attacks in similar fashion – notably setting up Kvaratskhelia’s early chance which hit the post. The teenager nevertheless lacks his compatriot’s newfound ease in front of goal, though, having missed a couple of promising opportunities to score across the match.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, 6

Selected Arsenal player ratings

David Raya, 6

William Saliba, 5

Jakub Kiwior, 4

Declan Rice, 5

Thomas Partey, 3

Bukayo Saka, 6

GFFN | Raphaël J. – reporting from the Parc des Princes