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Luis Enrique has already told Arsenal why they can beat PSG to book Champions League final place

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Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

After the Gunners beat Real Madrid over two legs in the quarter-final, Mikel Arteta’s side booked a date with PSG.

For the second time this season, Arsenal will face the Parisiens, who visited the Emirates in October during the league phase of the Champions League

Arsenal’s 5-1 win over Real Madrid will give the North Londoners confidence to beat anyone in the competition, but PSG pose a different threat to Los Blancos. 

Aston Villa FC v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg
Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images

What Luis Enrique said about Arsenal after PSG clash

Though Arsenal beat PSG 2-0 at the Emirates back in October, Arteta is aware that his squad will be facing a largely different set-up, as the French side have hit a new level of form. 

PSG beat Liverpool in the round of 16 and then conquered Aston Villa in the quarter-final, with another trip to England on the cards. 

The Arsenal squad and Arteta understand PSG’s resurgence, in what is set to be an incredibly difficult two-legged clash to reach the Champions League final.

A lot of talk has been on PSG’s boosted form, but Luis Enrique won’t be underestimating Arsenal anytime soon.

After the two clubs met in October, the PSG manager insisted that the Gunners were ‘superior’ to his team.

“Today, we were far away from the standards you need in this kind of match. Arsenal were much better in terms of pressure, intensity, they won every duel,” He told the media. 

Enrique then gave Arteta an idea ahead of how to beat PSG in the semi-final, drawing attention to Arsenal’s physicality.

“It’s impossible to play for a positive result when you don’t win any of your duels on the pitch, their defenders anticipated our attackers, and our defenders didn’t anticipate their attackers. Arsenal were superior.”

Real Madrid had a similar assessment of Arsenal

French media are aware of Arsenal’s threat, as several outlets reacted to the Gunners’ win over Real Madrid.

What is interesting about Enrique’s assessment of Arteta’s side back in October is that the word ‘superior’ has been used to describe Arsenal since. 

After the win at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told the media that the North Londoners were simply ‘superior’ to Los Blancos.

“It wasn’t enough and we lost against a superior Arsenal and we have to accept that,” Courtois said.

Arteta has the tools to beat PSG, just as he did in October, with Enrique wary of how punishing Arsenal can be when at their best.