Paris is a city of museums. And PSG can already start expanding theirs in the image and likeness of the Louvre or the Orsay. Since Luis Enrique arrived at the Parc des Princes, titles have not stopped entering their showcases, including the last two Champions League trophies. The Parisian team had never won it before, and in three years with the Asturian coach, they have won the great continental tournament twice in a row. This time it had nothing to do with the stroll against Inter, but they had to suffer until the end. Then everything went their way. In Budapest, everything was against them. They started losing, forced extra time, went to penalties, and only when Gabriel Magalhães missed Arsenal’s fifth penalty could they celebrate their new dynasty.
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The shootout was unfriendly to the stingy football of the Londoners, who played with four center-backs and only shot once on target. Arteta’s men were not satisfied with Havertz’s goal to achieve the great harvest with the Premier League. The 11 meters favored the Parisians, who stayed true to their style even though they were forced to play many minutes without Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia, and Vitinha.
Arsenal, a team with a loser reputation, crossed paths with Luis Enrique’s luck, who has already won four finals with PSG in penalty shootouts.
PSG had more experience. In fact, Luis Enrique repeated the same ten outfield players. All except the goalkeeper were the same who thrashed Inter in Munich a year ago. Between the posts, Safonov took Donnarumma’s place, who is no longer at the club.
At Arsenal, Arteta, perhaps thinking it would be a long final, surprised with the lineup, missing Calafiori or Gyökeres, among others. Instead of the Swedish forward, he chose Havertz, more mobile and less of a finisher, and the decision could not have been better because the German was key at the start.
While both teams were still positioning themselves, a rebound off Trossard’s back turned into an assist for Havertz’s run, who with his graceful stride reached the area with plenty of time to think. It seemed he was running out of angle, but then he unleashed a dry, high left-footed shot that Safonov could do nothing about. The ball almost flew over the Russian goalkeeper’s head.
It was Havertz’s second Champions final – the only Gunner who had played one alongside Gabriel Jesus – and he also managed to score as he did in 2021 when he gave Chelsea the title.
Twenty years after the final where Barça came back in Paris, the North Londoners took the lead again on the big day. And that goal gave Arsenal the perfect excuse to sit back and focus on defending the lead.
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They did not mind at all giving up the initiative and the ball to their rival, who had doubts in creating chances to break into Arsenal’s solid setup, which packed its ten outfield players into less than 15 meters to leave no space. PSG dominated, but Arsenal was comfortable being dominated because the Parisian attack stars did not appear, while Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, the defensive generals of the London defense, controlled every advance or shot.
While PSG crashed against the four-center-back wall, Arsenal came out eager and fast. Saka tried on the right in a play where Safonov took a hit to the head, and Marquinhos had to intervene when Odegaard had set up Havertz, who was left in the dark.
Bound, Luis Enrique’s team only had the option to try from distance. That led to Raya’s only save in the first half, a volley from Fabián Ruiz. Meanwhile, Arsenal wanted to waste so much time that they were not allowed to take the last corner and went into halftime.
If the PSG-Bayern semifinal was a hymn to attacking play and a great advertisement for football, the final was the opposite. A match where tactics kidnapped talent and chances were scarce. Arsenal’s meager play frustrated the defending champion. Raya’s protection was impenetrable until Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé combined in a wall near the edge of the area that left the Georgian with an advantage in the box. From behind, Mosquera could only crash into the winger. The referee was clear about the penalty and ignored Parisian protests demanding a second yellow card (and expulsion) for the Alicante player.
Ousmane Dembélé, a man of ice, did not get nervous to convert from the spot, deceiving Raya, and equalized with half an hour left. PSG could have quickly turned it around thanks to a spectacular run by Kvaratskhelia of almost 60 meters. But he arrived exhausted, and his shot was touched just enough by Lewis-Skelly to deflect it to the post.
However, muscle problems took talent away from PSG, who saw Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé have to leave injured (and later Vitinha), and the onslaughts stopped. That said, Barcola brought speed, being a bullet down the left wing. Twice he left Saliba behind but failed to finish before extra time.
Arteta understood he needed more presence with Zubimendi and more imbalance with Madueke and Eze. And it was Madueke, a substitute, who faced Nuno Mendes, who, out of position, fouled him in the area with his body. Despite protests, neither Siebert nor VAR saw anything punishable. The overexertion came at the expense of quality, and Raya, who has only conceded seven goals in this Champions, did not let any through despite Doué’s insistence. It was penalty shootout time.
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