Paris Saint-Germain have reclaimed European football’s ultimate prize, defeating Arsenal on penalties to retain the UEFA Champions League title at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on Saturday.
The match finished 1-1 after extra time, with PSG ultimately triumphing 4-3 in the shootout. Kai Havertz had given Arsenal a dream start, burying the opening goal into PSG’s net just six minutes in, before Ousmane Dembélé levelled from the penalty spot in the 65th minute after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia drew the foul.
The game was a tale of two very different styles. PSG dominated possession and racked up 21 shot attempts to Arsenal’s seven , yet found themselves unable to break down the Gunners’ resolute defence in open play.
Arsenal, who had conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League this season and were marshalled by the centre-back partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, defended bravely but ultimately cracked in the shootout when Gabriel blazed his penalty over the bar, handing PSG the title.
The victory makes PSG only the second club to win consecutive Champions League titles since the competition was rebranded in the early 1990s. Real Madrid, who won three in a row between 2016 and 2018, remain the only other side to have achieved the feat in the modern era.
For Arsenal, it was a bittersweet ending to a historic season having been crowned Premier League champions for a fourth time just a week earlier but they depart Budapest with their heads held high after returning to a Champions League final for the first time in 20 years.
