PARIS - Paris St Germain secured their place in the UEFA Champions League final with a composed 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the second leg of the semi-final on Wednesday, completing a 3-1 aggregate win and earning a second shot at European glory.
Goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi guided the French champions past a determined Arsenal side at the Parc des Princes, while a series of world-class saves by Gianluigi Donnarumma proved crucial in withstanding the early onslaught. Five years after falling short against Bayern Munich, PSG—under the astute leadership of Luis Enrique—now appear a more complete and disciplined unit. They will face Inter Milan on May 31 in Munich after the Italian giants edged out Barcelona in a dramatic 7-6 aggregate thriller.
This final marks the first European meeting between PSG and Inter, and the first Champions League decider between a French and Italian side since Marseille defeated AC Milan in 1993. “We’ve come a long way. It’s a proud moment for the club,” said PSG captain Marquinhos, reflecting on the team’s journey after dispatching three Premier League clubs—Liverpool, Aston Villa, and now Arsenal—in successive knockout rounds. “But our mission isn’t over yet.”
Arsenal started brightly and dominated early proceedings. Declan Rice came close with a glancing header, and Donnarumma was quickly called into action to deny Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Ødegaard with a pair of stunning saves. But against the run of play, Ruiz capitalized on a defensive lapse in the 27th minute, lashing home from close range after a miscued clearance by Thomas Partey.
Arsenal’s intensity dropped in the second half, and though Donnarumma remained alert to keep out Bukayo Saka’s curling effort, the hosts extended their lead through Hakimi in the 72nd minute. The Moroccan full-back played a slick one-two with substitute Ousmane Dembele before burying his shot past David Raya.
Vitinha had earlier missed a chance to seal the tie with a weak penalty saved by Raya, but the miss proved inconsequential. Saka pulled one back for Arsenal in the 76th minute, but his glaring miss moments later—blasting over from close range—summed up the Gunners’ night. “I’m proud of the way we played, but deeply frustrated we didn’t get the result,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.PSG now turn their attention to Munich, where they aim to emulate Marseille and finally claim their first UEFA Champions League title.
