Paris Saint-Germain sealed their place in the Champions League final with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the second leg of their semi-final tie on Wednesday, completing a 3-1 aggregate win.
Goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi at the Parc des Princes secured the triumph for the French champions, who now look ahead to a May 31 showdown against Inter Milan in Munich.
Ruiz opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the box, capitalizing after Arsenal had dominated the early stages.
Already holding a lead from Ousmane Dembele’s goal in the first leg, PSG appeared to tighten their grip on the tie despite Vitinha later seeing a penalty saved.
Hakimi added a second for PSG in the 72nd minute, putting the result beyond doubt before Bukayo Saka pulled one back for Arsenal. The late goal offered the visitors brief hope, but missed chances, especially Saka’s late open-goal miss, sealed their fate.
This marks PSG’s second-ever appearance in a Champions League final, following their 2020 loss to Bayern Munich. Unlike that pandemic-era campaign, this victory came in front of a raucous home crowd, who celebrated their team reaching a final on home soil for the first time.
For Arsenal, the loss ends their hopes of a return to the final stage, nearly two decades after their 2006 defeat to Barcelona. With no silverware since the 2020 FA Cup, Mikel Arteta’s team now shifts focus to securing another top-two Premier League finish.
What you should know
Paris Saint-Germain will play in their second Champions League final on May 31 against Inter Milan, following a 3-1 aggregate win over Arsenal.
Despite an early surge from the Gunners, PSG’s composed performance and crucial goals from Ruiz and Hakimi ensured their place in the final, marking a historic night at the Parc des Princes.
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