PARIS: Paris St Germain received a boost ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal with Ousmane Dembele passed fit as the French champions look to turn growing squad cohesion into a place in the final.
Dembele, who scored the only goal in last week’s 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium, picked up a muscle injury during that match but will be available at the Parc des Princes.
“He has been training with the squad for two days so he is available for tomorrow,” PSG coach Luis Enrique told a press conference on Tuesday.
It is welcome news for a PSG side whose progress this season has been built less on individual brilliance and more on the kind of collective spirit and tactical maturity that has often eluded them in past European campaigns.
Luis Enrique, brought in to overhaul a team once shaped around marquee stars, has made no secret of his mission to build a unit capable of competing at the highest level.
“This season we’ve grown so much as a team,” he said. “You have to be ready for any scenario and pay attention from start to finish. The target for the coming years is to keep improving the process,” he said when asked about last season’s semi-final loss to Borussia Dortmund.
That steady evolution was evident in the first leg in London where PSG’s compact shape, aggressive pressing and controlled possession frustrated Arsenal’s attacking rhythm.
Defender Achraf Hakimi said the team’s new-found identity had been key to their run.
“The key is to show our personality with and without the ball and press high,” Hakimi said. “Arsenal will need to feel that the Parc des Princes is our home.”
PSG’s only Champions League final appearance ended in defeat by Bayern Munich in 2020, while Arsenal’s sole final was in 2006 when they lost to Barcelona in Paris.
“We will have to be as good as last week, but while many expect the same kind of game, I guarantee you it will be completely different,”
said Enrique.