Luis Enrique acknowledged that Paris Saint-Germain’s match-winner Ousmane Dembele is “a doubt for the second leg” against Arsenal.
PSG earned a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, with Dembele scoring the winning goal in the fourth minute.
There were 26 passes in the build-up to PSG’s goal, the most for them on record in the competition (since 2003-04).
Only Robert Lewandowski (40), Harry Kane (36) and Kylian Mbappe (34) have scored more goals in Europe’s big five leagues in all competitions this season than Dembele (33), while his 25 goals in 2025 are at least five more than any other player in that time.
He has also been directly involved in 11 goals in the Champions League this season (eight goals, three assists), matching Mbappe’s record for the most goal involvements by a PSG player in a single campaign of the competition (set in 2020-21).
However, Dembele was forced off in the 70th minute with what is reportedly a hamstring injury, which could result in a big blow for PSG.
Luis Enrique remains confident that his side can build on their advantage to reach the final, even if they are without the Frenchman for the return leg at the Parc des Princes.
“We’re going to try to get Dembele back on the pitch,” Luis Enrique said. “But we’re a real team.
“If Ousmane can play, that’s better. But if he doesn’t, we’ll still be a real team. We’ve been saying that since the start of the season.”
When pressed on the extent of the injury, he added: “I don’t know.
“He’ll undergo tests tomorrow. It’s not serious, it’s something very minor, but he’s probably a doubt for the second leg.”
PSG earned their first-ever win over Arsenal, having failed to win any of their first five meetings with the Gunners in the Champions League.
Gianluigi Donnarumma made key saves to protect his clean sheet, while PSG missed big chances to take a bigger advantage back to Paris, with Goncalo Ramos notably hitting the crossbar.
Despite only holding a slender advantage at the halfway stage, Luis Enrique is confident the French champions will find the right solution to reach the final.
“We showed our mentality every day,” he told Canal+. “It was a very emotional match.
“It’s difficult to play in this incredible atmosphere. The goal at the start of the match was important for our confidence.
“We have to think about controlling the match. We have to play at home with the fans, we’ll be ready.”
