UEFA Champions League
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00:00Welcome everybody to our live coverage of this UEFA Champions League game as Arsenal take on
00:12Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. Whipping up the
00:19emotion, whipping up the atmosphere. Here they come, Slavko Vincic, the on-pitch referee. Paris
00:29are backed by a large contingent of very noisy fans. And let's have a look at Mikel Arteta's
00:38Arsenal side. Cleandro Trossard who comes into the side. Thomas Partey is suspended. That means
00:44Mikel Marino will drop into the midfield three with Trossard between Saka and Martinelli. So let's
00:53look at Paris. Their boss Luis Enrique also makes one change. The 11 which Desiree Douai is in for
01:00Bradley Barcola. They have just been sensational in 2025.
01:08Slavko Vincic blows his whistle and the Champions of France get this game underway
01:14and immediately put the ball out of play for an Arsenal throw-in. The manner in which Arsenal
01:25beat Real Madrid in both legs of the quarter-final will give them huge confidence.
01:29Scalier here nicely found. Timber with his eyes laser-focused on the ball and Paris Saint-Germain
01:41have the lead and Dembele has scored after only three minutes play. It's a brilliant finish
01:48by Dembele. There is nobody hotter in world football than Ousmane Dembele. And Paris Saint-Germain
01:56are in front. Paris lead. Well it's exactly the start isn't it that Paris Saint-Germain would have
02:01wanted. This is what Dembele does. He'll drop into those midfield positions. Starts the playoff.
02:07Cavaskelia once he gets 1v1. Wants to beat his man. You know he can go inside and outside but it's
02:12just a lovely little pullback to Dembele. Continues his run. He just stops. Nobody's anywhere around
02:18him and just looks for that far corner. It's difficult for Dan Rea to see and get anything on.
02:23It goes through quite a body of players. Brilliant start for Paris Saint-Germain. Exactly what they
02:29would have wanted. Ousmane Dembele. His 33rd goal of the season. And Arsenal are rocked early.
02:40Rao Neves to Hakimi. Clanced on by Marquinhos. Straight at David Rea. It's a chance that.
02:47Yeah it's another real chance. Hakimi just clips it in so there's no real pace in the cross. He's got
02:52to try and generate it. You can see he's trying to use his neck muscles to generate that power. And
02:57it's straight at David Rea. You'd expect him to save that. But it is another chance.
03:02Cavaskelia.
03:05Three around him. And he wriggles through and goes down. No penalty.
03:11Slavko Vincic immediately saying no. It will be checked by the video assistant referee,
03:17Alan Borosak. I think it was a good call by the referee. The skill is brilliant. He's got to be
03:24careful, Timber, by putting your arm across like that. Yeah, he just takes his arm away in time.
03:29Look at the position of the referee. Slavko Vincic. He could not be in a better position.
03:35Brilliant.
03:40A little flip off Marino. It's Douai. Good save. And on the return it's Fabian Ruiz who hits the post.
03:49And Arsenal get away with it. And the flag now goes up.
03:52Oh, Hakimi with a slip. This is dangerous. Is that a foul? Drown Neves. Well, the referee,
04:06Slavko Vincic, says not.
04:10As the ball comes in, it just looks like it goes straight through the back. Oh, no, he doesn't.
04:13He kicks the floor.
04:17Saka.
04:17Saka again wriggling and scooping to Martinelli who can't quite reach it.
04:31Oh, by a long, long way. Arsenal's best opportunity of the game.
04:38Good play, Lewis Skelly.
04:42Hakimi needs to be careful. That's a brilliant ball. Martinelli.
04:45Superb save by Donnarumma.
04:51Brilliant save by Joan Luigi Donnarumma.
04:54How many times have we said that during the course of this Champions League season?
05:03And here we go.
05:04Good header by Joan Neves, who has collided with Mikel Moreno here.
05:18And the referee has awarded Arsenal a free kick.
05:21And set pieces were a real source of joy for Arsenal.
05:26Well, not joy, that might be over-egging it, but certainly a source of encouragement for Arsenal in the first half.
05:39Declan Rice with the curling ball into the area.
05:41It's in.
05:44Mikel Moreno gets his head on it.
05:46And Arsenal a level right at the start of the second period.
05:51Can't really second-guess it. Here we go.
05:57It's no goal.
06:00It's offside.
06:02Well, it was hugely tight.
06:04That's how tight it is.
06:09Well, the semi-automated offside system does its job.
06:14Mikel Moreno is in an offside position.
06:17It remains Arsenal nil.
06:18Paris one.
06:19Another header well-won.
06:28Rice involved.
06:29Moreno touching it down.
06:30Trossard saw his shot blocked by Marquinhos.
06:33Comes away to Kivior.
06:34Kivior's shot hit.
06:35Pacho.
06:36Marquinhos with a clearance.
06:38Tellingly, maybe no appeals for handball from Arsenal players,
06:41but certainly some from Arsenal fans.
06:45Paris have a throw-in.
06:49Hold on, what a run by Rice.
06:53Trossard here.
06:54Trossard!
06:55And Donnarumma does it again.
07:02Timberle.
07:03Oh, clever little ball.
07:05Great challenge, Saliba.
07:06On Hakimi.
07:08Brilliant.
07:09He's just got to time it to perfection.
07:12And he does that just again as Hakimi's about to shoot.
07:14But it's a lovely play.
07:15Lovely build-up from Paris Saint-Germain.
07:19Trossard.
07:26Saka.
07:28And William Pacha had a little nibble there.
07:30Donnarumma again.
07:32Saka went to the near post.
07:35Donnarumma went down and made the save.
07:37But the flag, I think, has gone up on the far side.
07:39Wouldn't have counted.
07:39Oh, that counted off an Arsenal player.
07:49Gonzalo Ramos is off after this.
07:51It's Barcola for Paris Saint-Germain.
07:55And it's over the top from Jean Neves.
07:57And that is a real let-off for Arsenal.
08:04Barcola.
08:06Gonzalo Ramos back into Bradley.
08:07Barcola in on goal.
08:09And wide of the post.
08:11And that's an enormous let-off for Arsenal.
08:15Because if they go to Paris 1-0 down, it's difficult.
08:19If they go to Paris 2-0 down, it's nigh on impossible.
08:22It's the movement.
08:23It's the way that they're so slick in that.
08:26And it's just the finish that Barcola can't get right.
08:28Marquinhos over the top.
08:34And the flag has stayed down.
08:35Gonzalo Ramos here.
08:36And he's hit the woodwork.
08:41If you just watch it there.
08:43It's straight over the top.
08:46So unlucky.
08:47But what a touch and what a run.
08:54Martinou.
08:55Oh, away from Hakimi.
09:03Well.
09:08He's saying it's inside the box.
09:10Referee says it's not.
09:11I don't think it is.
09:12No, it's outside.
09:14Tries to get himself in the box.
09:16It's a definite foul.
09:17Good, quick beat.
09:24Into the crowd.
09:25And lashed away by Perescalia.
09:33He was just trying to get it into an area with pace, wasn't he?
09:36And it could have gone anywhere.
09:37Anywhere.
09:38Just ricocheted off Marino.
09:41Three minutes to go.
09:43Vitina had it taken away from him.
09:46Trossau with the back heel.
09:48Warneri.
09:49Martinelli.
09:50High and wide.
09:54Well, Warneri nearly did do something special.
09:56Yeah, he did.
09:56It was nicked brilliantly here by Declan Rice.
09:59Could have given the foul, but couldn't get shot on target, Martinelli.
10:03Well, they came with such great expectations, such high hopes.
10:08And Arsenal may yet reach the Champions League final, but if they are to do so, they will have
10:17to go and beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Parc des Princes, and that is a tall order.
10:25The second leg promises to be every bit as good.
10:28Paris have won this one as it's finished.
10:31Arsenal nil.
10:31Paris Saint-Germain won.