Defeated by Nice (1-3) just before facing Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals, Strasbourg repeated the script and pulled off a 2-1 win over PSG, just days ahead of the second leg that Luis Enrique’s side will play against the English club.

Fully focused on the most important match of the season — a game that could lead to the Champions League final — PSG’s coach chose not to risk any of his key players, fielding a starting XI that included just one name from the team that won 1-0 in London: Joao Neves.

The rest of the squad that helped PSG reach the verge of the Champions League final was rested. Some remained in Paris, others were benched. Only Dembélé, ruled out due to a hamstring strain in his right thigh, was an enforced absence.

Key players like Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, and Mendes were not even included in the matchday squad. Vitinha, Pacho, Doué, Fabián, and Kvaratskhelia waited on the bench in case things got out of hand against a team with everything to play for.

But Strasbourg wasn’t in the mood for jokes or mercy. They put out their strongest lineup for one simple reason: they needed to hand PSG their second defeat of the season to stay in the race for one of the three Champions League spots available.

With the Ligue 1 title already secured weeks ago, PSG stepped onto the pitch at Stade de la Meinau with their fringe players motivated to impress Luis Enrique and earn a spot in the all-important XI that will look to finish the job against Arsenal.

But that motivation, at least in the first half, wasn’t enough to match Strasbourg’s intensity, who quickly found reward for their efforts thanks to an own goal by Lucas Hernández in the 20th minute.

Only Lee Kang-In and Mbaye managed shots on Petrovic, and Luis Enrique’s men seemed content to wait until after halftime to shift the momentum. However, just before the break, Lemaréchal struck from outside the box with a shot that Safonov couldn’t stop, extending the lead to 2-0.

The second goal was a heavy blow, but at least PSG responded quickly. Just 40 seconds into the second half, Barcola created a brilliant play down the wing and finished from inside the box to threaten Strasbourg’s lead.

Still, Liam Rosenior’s team held firm. They gave away very little, with PSG’s best chances coming late in the match. The visitors struggled against a well-organized web set up by a team that only looked in danger briefly through a couple of moments from Doué. In fact, Lemaréchal could’ve made it 3-1 with a header that barely missed — as Strasbourg keeps dreaming big.

The reality is that the name Arsenal, which now looms large in PSG’s horizon, worked in Strasbourg’s favor, as they fight to qualify for only their second-ever appearance in Europe’s top competition.

Strasbourg last played in the European Cup in 1979/80, where they were eliminated by Ajax in the quarterfinals. Decades later, they’re close to repeating that feat. As it stands, Strasbourg sit fourth, level on points with Nice (third) and just one point behind Marseille (second), who still have a game in hand. Lille (fifth) and Monaco (sixth) are chasing hard, but Strasbourg’s victory — and PSG’s distracted defeat — may have put them in pole position for a historic finish.