On penalties, PSG is champion of the Champions League for the second time in a row

PSG won its second Champions League this Saturday (30), after beating Arsenal, on penalties, 4-3. In regular time, the teams drew 1-1, which led to extra time at the Puskas Arena, in Budapest, Hungary. After 20 years after playing in their first final, Arsenal failed to win their first Champions League again.

This time, they didn’t take the turn, despite having equalized, but Luis Enrique’s team was sovereign throughout practically the entire game and was more accurate on penalties.

A The match started a bit strangely. The ball was put into play and then a tip to Mikel Arteta’s team. It didn’t lead to much. However, the English team didn’t give PSG time to think before opening the scoring.

There was an expectation that Arsenal would bet all your chips in the dead ballone of his greatest weapons during the season in which he won the Premier League. However, the first goal came five minutes into the game with the ball rolling. One left leg blow from midfielder Kai Havertz, no chance of defense for Matvey Safonov, who saw the ball go over his head.

The goal was scored after a beautiful pass from Leandro Trossard, from the side, with his arm glued to his body. Mikel Arteta’s idea really seemed to be betting on counterattacks with a lighter team, as the big goalscorer Viktor Gyökereswho scored five times in the competition and 14 times in the Premier League, started the match on the bench.

Around 15 minutes, the team Luis Enrique had not yet found himself in the game. Arsenal closed in with the defensive solidity that marked Arteta’s style and left no room for the Parisian teamwho now had more of the ball.

At 35 minutes, PSG had 79% possession of the ball. Even with troubles inside the area, the defense of Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba didn’t give the trio Désiré Doué, Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia a chance. Spanish goalkeeper David Raya only had to make a save in the first half, in stoppage time.

When it went up, Arsenal were in danger. Still in additions, Havertz was stopped inside the area by Brazilian Marquinhospreventing the expansion of the scoreboard. The Brazilian team’s defense duo, Magalhães and Marquinhos, had a great first half.

Second half

Coming back from the break with no changes, the game looked the same as the first half. THE PSG couldn’t find ways to break through the Gunners’ wall. The match became more physical, with tougher duels on both sides.

It was in this spirit of fighting at all costs that the full-back Cristhian Mosquera missed the mark and brought down Kvaratskhelia inside the areawho sported a giant graze on his right leg.

Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Dembélé took the penalty. Ball on one side, goalkeeper on the other. Everything the same in Budapest. Arteta made changes and replaced Jurriën Timber with Mosquera, who had a good game until the penalty, and Gyökeres replacing midfielder Martin Ødegaard, who did not play well.

Kvaratskhelia, on a counterattack, put a ball on the post after a deflection from Myles Lewis-Skelly. PSG imposed itself as in the entire gamewhile Arsenal didn’t really know what to do with the ball at their feet. Arteta decided to change the team again, 35 minutes into the second half. Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke came on to replace Saka and Trossard.

Playmaker Kvaratskhelia left and gave way to young Bradley Barcola. Bold move by Luis Enrique. He came face to face with Raya, but the Spaniard came out of the goal well. Vitinha finished over the goal with less than a minute to go in the second half. A tension gripped Budapest.

Gonçalo Ramos replaced goalscorer Dembélé. Concern for the French team, as the striker left due to injury. Barcola had the chance to turn the ball around in the last play of normal time, but the ball went to the right of Raya’s goal. The game would continue into extra time.

Extension

For the first half of extra time, Martín Zubimendi came on to replace Lewis-Skelly and Eberechi Eze to replace Kai Havertz at Arsenal, spending all your replacements. For PSG, no changes, until the entry of Warren Zaïre-Emery, replacing Fabián Ruiz.

The teams seemed to not want to take risks and concede the goal. Goalkeeper Raya took goal kicks in the middle of the field, without trying to play. PSG still dominated possession, but did not pose as much danger to the Spaniard. Hakimi sent a ball over the post, but too far.

Arsenal complained about a penalty in one of the rare moments in which they had the ball, but German referee Daniel Siebert did not want to review the move in VAR. Yellow cards left for Declan Rice and Mikel Arteta per complaint.

The lack of substitutions meant that Arteta couldn’t remove defender/full-back Piero Hincapiéwho suffered from cramps and was clearly no longer fit to play. The Brazilian Martinelli was forced to remain in coverage of the Ecuadorian.

The Portuguese Vitinha was also limping on the field. THE The end of the European season was taking its toll, with 12 days left until the World Cup. Replacing the midfielder was Brazilian Lucas Beraldo, who can play both as a defender and as a midfielder. Llua Zabarnyi replaced the always safe and captain of the team, Marquinhos.

In the second half of extra time, the Arteta’s team appeared comfortable with the idea of ​​a penalty shootout. Positioned well back, he did not put pressure on PSG, who moved the ball and looked for alternatives. But the mood in the field was to decide on the brand of whitewash. Arsenal finished twice before the end, but without danger. Taking a corner, in the last play, the English produced little. It would be through penalties that the 2026 champion of the biggest club competition in the world would be decided.

Penalties

Score: PSG 4 x 3 Arsenal

PSG – They scored: Gonçalo Ramos, Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi, Lucas Beraldo. Lost: Nuno Mendes.

Arsenal – Scored: Viktor Gyökeres, Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli. Lost: Eberechi Eze, Gabriel Magalhães.

In a balanced contest, Brazilian Gabriel Magalhães missed the last shot, sending a shot over the crossbar, handing the second title to Luis Enrique’s team.

Raya was the only one who took a penalty, that of Nuno Mendes. Eberachi Eze, who came on in extra time, also hit the ball wide, to the goalkeeper’s left side. Also noteworthy is Beraldo, who entered extra time, took PSG’s fifth penalty and didn’t seem to feel the pressure of the match.

Technical sheet

Competition: Champions League – Final

Stadium: Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hungary

Arbitrator: Daniel Siebert/ALE

Paris Saint-Germain: Matvey Safonov, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos (Llua Zabarnyi), Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Fabián Ruiz (Warren Zaïre-Emery), Vitinha (Lucas Beraldo), João Neves, Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé (Gonçalo Ramos), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Bradley Barcola).

Arsenal: David Raya, Cristhian Mosquera (Jurriën Timber), William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Piero Hincapié, Martin Ødegaard (Viktor Gyökeres), Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly (Martín Zubimendi), Bukayo Saka (Noni Madueke), Kai Havertz (Eberechi Eze), Leandro Trossard (Gabriel Martinelli).

Goals: Kai Havertz, 5 minutes, Arsenal
Ousmane Dembélé, 25 minutes into the second half, PSG

Cards: Yellows – Mosquera, Saka, João Neves, Gyökeres, Rice, Nuno Mendes