Arsenal’s Champions League rivals PSG take another step toward history | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal’s upcoming Champions League semi-final opponents, remain on course to complete an unprecedented unbeaten season in Ligue 1, following a 2-1 victory over Le Havre at the Parc des Princes.

Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images

With the domestic title already secured, Luis Enrique rotated heavily from the side that edged Aston Villa 3-2 in midweek to secure their place in the last four of Europe’s elite competition. Only Achraf Hakimi and Bradley Barcola retained their places, as the manager gave rest to key figures ahead of the decisive clash with Mikel Arteta’s side.

The changes did little to disrupt momentum. Desire Doue opened the scoring inside eight minutes, and Goncalo Ramos, making the most of a rare start, doubled the lead shortly after the break with his 15th goal of the campaign.

“We knew this game was a potential banana skin for us after a Champions League match which sucked out all our energy and left us feeling tired,” said Luis Enrique. “All the ingredients were there for this to be a difficult game against a side who were in need of points.”

Issa Soumare pulled a goal back for the visitors, but PSG held firm to extend their winning streak in the league to 10 matches. The victory keeps them on 77 points, 22 points ahead of Marseille with just five games remaining, and on the brink of making French football history.

No team has ever completed an entire Ligue 1 season unbeaten.

For Arsenal, the performance serves as a timely reminder of the scale of the challenge that awaits. PSG may have suffered a rare European defeat at Villa Park, but their domestic consistency, even with wholesale rotation, underscores the depth and quality of the squad Arteta will have overcome. They have won 24 and drawn only five of their 29 league games so far this season.