PSG v Arsenal LIVE: Team news and Jurrien Timber injury updates for Champions League semi-final tonight

Inter, who lost to Manchester City in the 2022 final, will aim to win their fourth European Cup against either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in Munich on May 31 after winning an astonishing tie 7-6 on aggregate.

After a 3-3 draw last week, Barcelona were moments away from a first Champions League final in 10 years when Raphinha fired the visitors into the lead for the first time in the semi-final.

But Francesco Acerbi rescued Inter deep in stoppage time and Davide Frattesi put the hosts 4-3 ahead in extra time to settle a breathless contest that will be remembered for years to come.

The tie equalled the record number of goals in a Champions League semi-final. Here’s how it unfolded, turn by turn.

After a game that pushed emotions to extremes, an exhausted Simone Inzaghi became philosophical.

This was just one of those matches – let alone the entire tie – that is so immersive it becomes a celebration of the pure game as it’s played, no matter everything else around it. This is why football is the most popular sport in the world. “Que locura” – “what a madness” – a member of the Barcelona contingent could be seen mouthing after four hours of absorbing football.

That’s another way to sum it up. To take Inzaghi’s point and turn it on its head, though, there’s arguably no final that has gone to these extremes. Run through it now. How many truly great Champions League finals have there been over the last few years, or even this millennium? Arguably only 2005.

PSG XI: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.

Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli.

For the hosts, Luis Enrique rested the majority of his starters for the loss against Strasbourg at the weekend, and the Spaniard confirmed that Dembele will be fit to face the Gunners after picking up a rumoured hamstring strain in the first leg.

Elsewhere, Presnel Kimpembe and Lee Kang In look like they will miss the second leg, though Lucas Hernandez may have recovered in time.

Jurrien Timber is the main doubt for Arsenal after missing the loss to Bournemouth, though both him and Martin Odegaard trained on Tuesday. The Gunners will also welcome back Thomas Partey after he was suspended for the first leg.

Jorginho remains out alongside Kai Havertz, though Riccardo Calafiori has returned to training and Arteta will hope he can call upon the Italian if needed on Wednesday night.

Mikel Arteta inherited a team in the wrong half of the Premier League. A year later, they were 15th. As Arsenal are in their first Champions League semi-final for 16 years, their manager can testify that the path forward can be long and winding and sometimes seem to involve going backwards.

Eliminating Real Madrid seemed a giant step forward, especially given the emphatic nature of home and away triumphs, of Declan Rice’s twin man-of-the-match performances, of how, one William Saliba error apart, Arsenal shut out European football’s resident superpower.

A home defeat by Paris Saint-Germain did not initially appear a platform to reach just a second Champions League final in their history. Overturning that 1-0 deficit, turning their trip into Paris into an evening destined for a place in Arsenal folklore, and progressing would be both obvious and dramatic. Don’t, and the verdict would depend in part on the manner of Arsenal’s exit: heroic or resounding, narrowly overcome or clearly beaten.

Ahead of a night that means everything for Arsenal, Declan Rice duly gave all of the lines you would want for such an occasion. The midfielder talked of how Arsenal “need to have big balls”, adding they are in Paris “to make a statement” and have “full belief” in creating “a special night”.

Rice speaks with an almost religious fervour in such situations, which is probably required.

So far so good, until his manager came in.

“Let’s not do the talking,” Mikel Arteta said. “Let’s do tomorrow on that pitch. So the best, best, best, best version and win the game.”

There is at least “full clarity” to the situation, as the manager put it. Arsenal need to beat Paris Saint-Germain to get into the Champions League final. Arteta played up to how special it could be, as he insisted on describing it as “one of the most beautiful” games in his time at Arsenal, rather than the biggest.

Welcome to the Independent’s Champions League coverage of PSG v Arsenal in the semi-finals.

If tonight’s game is half as good as Inter v Barcelona, we’re in for a treat as the Gunners look to overturn a 1-0 aggregate deficit in the second leg at the Parc des Princes.

Mikel Arteta has issued a rallying cry to boost hopes of a famous finale to the season in the Munich final.

Thought Luis Enrique’s side remain favourites to progress thanks to Ousmane Dembele’s early strike at the Emirates.

Follow for all the build-up in Paris and latest team news as Arsenal make a late call on Jurrien Timber’s condition.