Live Reporting

Craig Nelson, Gary Rose, Adwaidh Rajan & Sean Byrne. Edited by Murray Burnell.

1. Martinez to be fit to face Barcelona?published at 15:48 British Summer Time

   Inter Milan v Barcelona (3-3 on agg; Tues, 20:00 BST)

   Image source, Getty Images

   Inter Milan are hoping captain and top scorer Lautaro Martinez will be fit to face Barcelona.

   The forward, who has scored 21 goals in all competitions this season, is a doubt after suffering a hamstring injury in the first leg.

   Defender Benjamin Pavard is also a doubt.

   “We will decide on Lautaro (Martinez) and Pavard together with the medical staff and the players, they will have to tell me how they feel,” Inter boss Simone Inzaghi said.

   “On Sunday, Pavard participated in the first part of training and felt okay. Lautaro hasn’t trained since Barcelona.”

2. ‘We don’t expect this crazy football anymore’published at 15:46 British Summer Time

   Inter Milan v Barcelona (3-3 on agg; 20:00 BST)

   Guillem Balague
   Spanish football journalist on BBC Radio 5 Live

   I cannot put my finger on what exactly made the last game so exciting. I was 10 metres away from Lamine Yamal attacking that flank where Inter were defending, and that’s definitely one reason.

   Of course, going 2-0 down against such a strong defensive side and Barcelona turning it around. 3-3 shouldn’t make them too happy, but all of that plus a disallowed goal made it so exciting.

   Perhaps it’s because we don’t expect this crazy football anymore in the organised football that we normally see. We just don’t think it can happen anymore, but it did, and it was wonderful.

   Image source, Getty Images

3. What happened in the first leg in Barcelona?published at 15:44 British Summer Time

   Inter Milan v Barcelona (3-3 on agg; 20:00 BST)

   Image source, Getty Images

   This game is going to be a cracker if the first leg is anything to go by.

   Last week, Barcelona came back from behind twice to snatch a draw against Inter Milan in a six-goal thriller and leave their Champions League semi-final finely poised.

   Inter stunned the hosts after just 30 seconds when Marcus Thuram’s audacious backheel flick made it 1-0 before Denzel Dumfries doubled their lead.

   But the magical, magnificent Lamine Yamal skipped past several defenders before unleashing a sumptuous left-foot finish to reduce the deficit in the 24th minute.

   Ferran Torres then equalised before the break but Dumfries then pulled Inter ahead again in the 63rd minute.

   Barca again responded in style and levelled just two minutes later when a stunning 25-yard strike from Raphinha clattered the bar, bounced down and into the net, via a touch off Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer’s back.

   More of the same tonight, please!

4. Postpublished at 15:42 British Summer Time

   Image source, Getty Images

   That text from Mike is perhaps our cue to move on.

   We will look at PSG v Arsenal in more detail tomorrow as they battle for a place in the Champions League final.

   The first of the two spots in the title clash will, however, be booked tonight when Inter Milan face Barcelona.

   Their last-four tie remains finely in the balance after a thrilling 3-3 draw in Spain.

   Let’s see how the two teams are doing before the return leg tonight.

5. get involved

   Get Involvedpublished at 15:40 British Summer Time

   #bbcfootball, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)

   At present I’m more interested in the Nerazzurri v Barca. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

   Mike, Chippenham

6. ‘PSG will continue to excel on the biggest stages’published at 15:38 British Summer Time

   PSG v Arsenal (1-0 on agg; Wed, 20:00 BST)

   Image source, Getty Images

   Whatever happens in this season’s Champions League, Luis Enrique is confident Paris St-Germain are on the right path to becoming stronger and stronger on the biggest stages.

   “It’s normal in a construction process that in the first year there are still things to analyse,” he said.

   “The second year is a year of clearer growth and confidence in our resources. Next year we will continue to excel on the biggest stages.”

7. ‘I’ve rarely seen a player with so much intelligence’published at 15:36 British Summer Time

   PSG v Arsenal (1-0 on agg; Wed 20:00 BST)

   Julien Laurens
   European football expert on The Football News Show

   The midfield has been the key with Joao Neves at the heart of it. Neves at 20 years old, I’ve rarely seen a player with so much intelligence and maturity in his game at that age.

   He’s been amazing, his dad is a very famous coach in Portugal at grassroots level. When you have that upbringing, it teaches you a lot of things.

   This is where he develops a football IQ that is well above average, even in the professional game.

   Image source, Getty Images

8. Postpublished at 15:31 British Summer Time

   PSG v Arsenal (1-0 on agg, 20:00 BST)

   Midfield will be another area where the second leg could be won and lost.

   And PSG have the very impressive duo of Vitinha and Joao Neves as they go up against an Arsenal side, who will be boosted by the return of Thomas Partey from suspension.

   Portugal international Neves, 20, in particular has shone as both a creator and destructor in Luis Enrique’s midfield.

9. get involved

   Get Involved – ‘They should hit PSG at pace’published at 15:29 British Summer Time

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   A lot of injuries and lack of a true striker have certainly cost Arsenal in the league this season. That said, a Champions League semi final is nothing to be sniffed at. They should hit PSG at pace and take their chances. With Partey back in the line up they’ll be better equipped to deal with the PSG midfield.

   Andy

10. ‘He’s been excellent since the turn of the year’published at 15:26 British Summer Time

    PSG v Arsenal (1-0 on agg; Wed, 20:00 BST)

    Julien Laurens
    European football expert on The Football News Show

    Image source, get

    There have been mistakes made by Gianluigi Donnarumma, but he has also been wonderful at times. He’s not perfect, certainly on crosses and set pieces, but on his line he’s definitely one of the best in the world. He’s been excellent since the turn of the year.

11. ‘Donnarumma gives us confidence for these games’published at 15:23 British Summer Time

    PSG v Arsenal (1-0 on agg; Wed, 20:00 BST)

    Paris St-Germain
    Paris St-Germain

    Image source, Getty Images

    Achraf Hakimi spoke about the importance of Gianluigi Donnarumma in these sorts of games.

    “I think you can already see that he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world,” said the PSG defender.

    “We have so much confidence in him. Some people doubted him but we have always supported him and we have seen that he has always responded in the best way.

    “He gives us so much confidence in these sorts of games.”

12. Postpublished at 15:19 British Summer Time

    PSG v Arsenal (1-0 on agg; Wed, 20:00 BST)

    Image source, Getty Images

    Another player who had a big hand in PSG’s 1-0 win in the first leg was Gianluigi Donnarumma.

    The giant Italian keeper, as he was against Liverpool and Aston Villa earlier in the Champions League, was PSG’s hero again at Arsenal.

    He saved brilliantly from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard either side of the break to preserve PSG’s advantage and will once again be key as the Gunners travel to Paris desperate to turn the tie around.

13. get involved

    Get Involved – ‘Stop comparing PSG to Real Madrid’published at 15:16 British Summer Time

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    I don’t get the narrative of ‘but look what we did at Madrid.’ Real Madrid had to attack to close the deficit from the first leg, this time PSG don’t have to do that. They can hit Arsenal on the counter, different game, different circumstances so stop comparing

    H

    Image source, Getty Images

14. What changed for Dembele?published at 15:13 British Summer Time

    PSG v Arsenal (1-0 on agg; Wed, 20:00 BST)

    Guillem Balague
    Spanish football journalist on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Ousmane Dembele has never lacked confidence, is super-passionate about football and arrived in Paris in August 2023 convinced of his ability to star and succeed at the club, despite the presence at the time of Kylian Mbappe.

    Last summer, manager Luis Enrique told Dembele that, without Mbappe in the team, he needed more goals from him to go with his large number of assists – carte blanche for the player to show a more selfish approach with less passing and a bigger desire to score.

    In private, the coaching staff have frequently told him that if he managed to convert a decent percentage of the chances that he creates, it can lead to collective success and then individual honours. The Ballon d’Or even.

    He has taken it all on board and is relishing playing in his new tactical role.

15. Dembele benefitting from experience gained at different clubspublished at 15:10 British Summer Time

    PSG v Arsenal (1-0 on agg; Wed, 20:00 BST)

    Paris St-Germain
    Paris St-Germain

    Image source, Getty Images

    Ousmane Dembele previously played for Rennes, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona before arriving at Paris St-Germain and boss Luis Enrique believes the French side are now benefitting from Dembele’s development at different clubs.

    “He has had a clear footballing pathway that he hasbenefited from as he has played at different clubs with different ways ofplaying,” Enrique said,

    “His experience at Barcelona was very useful to him because hewas with top-level players for many years, with a similar match philosophy thatwe try to transmit.

    “I speak to Dembele about many things depending on the game.”

16. get involved

    Get Involved – ‘Repeat the Bernabeu performance’published at 15:07 British Summer Time

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    Repeat the Bernabau performance – easier said than done, but possible. If Villa can beat this current PSG team, then so can Arsenal.

    John in France

    Image source, Getty Images

17. Dembele’s transformationpublished at 15:04 British Summer Time

    PSG v Arsenal (1-0 on agg; Wed, 20:00 BST)

    Image source, Getty Images

    Ousmane Dembele has been a huge player for PSG this season with 21 goals in 28 Ligue 1 games and eight in 13 in the Champions League.

    That’s a big improvement on last season when he got five goals in all competitions.

    In fact, he has scored more goals this season than he managed in the last five combined.

    Earlier this year, PSG boss Luis Enrique enthused so much about Dembele that he said he was like something from a computer game., external

    So to have him back from a hamstring issue that threatened his involvement will be a huge boost for the Parisians.

18. Postpublished at 14:59 British Summer Time

    PSG v Arsenal (1-0 on agg; Wed, 20:00 BST)

    Paris St-Germain might be without the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar these days.

    But that is not to say that this current crop is without world-class talent.

    Ousmane Dembele grabbed the spotlight in the first leg against Arsenal with the winner, but he’s not the only one.

    Let’s now take a look at some of the PSG stars that Arsenal will have to contend with tomorrow, if they are to make it to the Champions League final.

19. ‘We’re bound to suffer against Arsenal’published at 14:54 British Summer Time

    PSG v Arsenal (1-0 on agg; Wed, 20:00 BST)

    Paris St-Germain
    Paris St-Germain

    Image source, Getty Images

    Paris St-Germain boss Luis Enrique is expecting Arsenal to make life difficult for his side as they push to try and turn the tie in their favour.

    “It is a special game tomorrow and we will approach it justas we have done until now,” he said.

    “We’re bound to suffer because our opponents don’t have a favourable result.

    “We need to match our performance as closely as possible in the first leg to win the return leg and stay true to our ideas.”

20. get involved

    Get Involved – ‘Arsenal had a better xG and more shots on target’published at 14:48 British Summer Time

    #bbcfootball, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)

    Joe: Not sure which game Ryan was watching last week! PSG were the better team, but miles and centuries?PSG were certainly better for the first 20 minutes. But Arsenal had a better xG and more shots on target. Arsenal will be better with Partey back in the team and Merino up front.In a game where Arsenal didn’t quite look on top form, they kept themselves in the tie. People seem to forget what we did against Real Madrid a few weeks ago. Still all to play for!

    

    Paris St-Germain had 11 shots on goal at Arsenal at an xG of 1.15 – lower than the Gunners’, who had five shots on target to PSG’s four.