Paris Saint-Germain made history on Saturday by becoming the second team to secure consecutive Champions League titles, triumphing over Arsenal in a thrilling penalty shootout held in Budapest, Hungary.
After a hard-fought extra time at the Puskas Arena, Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães missed a crucial penalty, sending his shot over the crossbar. This miss ultimately gifted PSG a 4-3 victory in the shootout, following a 1-1 deadlock at the end of regulation.
Arsenal is still on the hunt for their inaugural European title, despite their recent success in the Premier League, where they ended a 22-year title drought this season.
The match reflected Arsenal’s previous final experience two decades ago, where they also took an early lead. This time, Marquinhos’ ill-fated attempt to clear the ball struck Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard and landed at the feet of Kai Havertz. Running toward goal from near the halfway line, Havertz slotted the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
PSG’s defense managed to contain Arsenal for a significant portion of the match, but the Premier League champions ultimately faltered in the second half. Cristian Mosquera committed a foul on Juvica Kvaratschelia inside the penalty area, leading to a VAR check and a subsequent penalty. Ousmane Dembele capitalized on the opportunity, equalizing by sending goalkeeper David Raya the wrong way from the spot.
Notably, Arsenal controlled only 26% of possession, marking the lowest figure in a Champions League final since Opta began tracking such statistics in 2004. Despite their struggles to assert dominance, PSG couldn’t find the net again before the match went to penalties.
In an earlier penalty kick, Ebelesi Eze also failed to convert, but goalkeeper David Raya managed to save a shot from Nuno Mendes, keeping Arsenal in the game. Lucas Berardo successfully took PSG’s final penalty, forcing Gabriel into a must-score scenario to keep Arsenal alive. However, Gabriel’s attempt flew high over the bar, prompting ecstatic celebrations from PSG players and fans in the Puskas Arena.
After the match, PSG captain Marquinhos expressed his pride in the team’s achievement, stating that it was an “unbelievable run.” He reflected on the season’s challenges and the mentality instilled by their coach, emphasizing that winning back-to-back titles requires immense dedication and hard work.
With this victory, PSG joins Real Madrid, who claimed three consecutive titles from 2016 to 2018, as the only teams to defend the Champions League crown since its rebranding in 1992. This final marked the first time since Real Madrid’s victory over Atletico Madrid ten years ago that a Champions League title was decided by penalties.
PSG has now entered the elite group of champions, becoming the tenth team in the history of the European Cup—which has been contested since 1955—to win back-to-back titles. Manager Luis Enrique solidified his standing as one of the greats in European football, joining an exclusive club of managers who have won three or more European Cups, alongside legends such as Carlo Ancelotti, Bob Paisley, Zinedine Zidane, and Josep Guardiola.
Reflecting on the challenging match, Luis Enrique remarked how special this victory was, particularly given the obstacles faced throughout the season, including the tightly contested nature of the final.
The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.
