Paris Saint-Germain secured their place in the UEFA Champions League final, triumphing over Arsenal with a 3-1 aggregate score after winning the second leg 2-1 at the Parc des Princes. This victory marks PSG as the third team from Ligue 1 to reach multiple finals in the tournament’s history.
Holding a narrow lead from the first leg, the Gunners entered the match burdened with the weight of past failures, having never progressed from a European knockout stage after losing the first leg at home in five previous encounters.
Mikel Arteta’s squad sought to rewrite that narrative from the outset, launching a vigorous assault in Paris. Declan Rice missed the target with a header from a Jurrien Timber cross, while Gianluigi Donnarumma showcased his talents with two remarkable saves, keeping Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard at bay within the first ten minutes.
After weathering that initial flurry from Arsenal, Luis Enrique’s team retaliated, exemplifying their own attacking prowess as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s ambitious curling shot hit the woodwork.
This was a precursor to the night’s opening goal, which arrived courtesy of a stunning shot from Fabián Ruiz.
Thomas Partey inadvertently headed Vitinha’s set-piece directly into Ruiz’s path, who skillfully set himself up before unleashing an unstoppable left-foot drive past David Raya, marking his first UEFA Champions League goal. Raya later redeemed himself with a crucial stop against Bradley Barcola’s attempt from close range.
In search of inspiration after halftime, Arsenal nearly found it through Bukayo Saka.
Once again, however, Donnarumma stepped up, expertly tipping Saka’s attempt over the crossbar to deny him a stunning goal.
The match took another twist when Myles Lewis-Skelly was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball as Achraf Hakimi’s shot aimed for the net. Yet, Raya countered this perceived injustice by saving Vitinha’s subsequent penalty, thus keeping Arsenal’s hopes alive.
That hope appeared fleeting as Hakimi struck with a composed right-footed effort, capitalising on Partey’s indecisiveness in defence, bringing PSG closer to the final.
When it seemed that Arsenal’s fate was all but sealed, Leandro Trossard outmuscled Marquinhos and set up Saka, who slotted home from close range.
Still in need of another goal to level the score, Saka squandered a golden chance to add to his tally, misfiring from an open goal after receiving a cross from Riccardo Calafiori.
With the match ending, Enrique’s side remained firmly on track for their first UCL title, following in the footsteps of Stade de Reims (1956, 1959) and Olympique de Marseille (1991, 1993) in reaching multiple finals, despite suffering a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the 2020 final.
Meanwhile, this result signifies a sixth exit for Arsenal from European knockout stages after losing the first leg at home, as Arteta’s team faces the prospect of another season without major silverware.
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Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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