Paris Saint-Germain spent more than a decade spending billions of dollars, collecting stars and accumulating frustrations until winning their first Champions League last season. A year later, he no longer needs to prove that he belongs to the elite of European football.
This Saturday (30), the French team achieved their second title in Europe’s biggest club tournament and also prevented Arsenal from joining the select group of champions.
The achievement consolidates PSG as a European power, something that seemed unlikely even in times when Neymar, Messi and Mbappé symbolized a project as ambitious as it was incomplete.
PSG became only the second club this century to win the Champions League in two consecutive seasons. Until then, only Real Madrid had achieved this feat, with the titles in 2015/16 and 2016/17. The Spanish team would further extend the sequence by also lifting the cup in 2017/18, completing an unprecedented third title in the modern era of the competition.
He was second runner-up for the London team in the competition, and with a bitter taste for Brazil. The duel was a 1-1 draw in normal time, remained goalless in extra time and was decided on penalties. PSG won 4-3 and sealed their victory with a wasted shot by defender Gabriel Magalhães.
Until then, the defender, a member of the Brazilian team for the World Cup, was playing an excellent game. With precise tackles and cuts, he was decisive in holding back the most effective attack in this edition of the Champions League.
The best defense of this edition of the Champions League, Arsenal’s defense was only leaked from the penalty spot. In the second stage, Dembélé left the score tied after 19 minutes. In the initial stage, Havertz had scored the first goal of the game after just five minutes.
Avoiding conceding a goal was Arsenal’s biggest bet to close the last big gap in its history, as it is the only one of the big clubs in England that has never won the Champions League.
The London team opened the scoring in a move that mixed bad luck from the Brazilian Marquinhos and opportunism from Kai Havertz. The German took advantage of an unsuccessful cutback attempt by the defender, was free in front of Safonov and finished strongly to find the net.
From then on, the English team began to act in a more reactive manner, while PSG took control of the ball and pushed the opponent into their defensive field.
Owner of the best attack in the competition, with 44 goals until the final, the French team had a first half of little offensive brilliance, but managed to react after the break. First, it equalized in the 19th minute, when Dembélé converted a penalty kick. Then, in extra time, the pressure continued, but they only managed to win on penalties.
The Parisian reaction also ended some recent writing in the competition. This Saturday’s decision was the first Champions League final since 2018 to feature goals from both finalists. On that occasion, Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 3-1.
For Arsenal, there was once again the feeling of a lost opportunity. English champions after 22 years of waiting, the London club dreamed of completing their redemption with an unprecedented European victory. Among the greats in England, he remains the only one who has not yet won the biggest club tournament on the Old Continent.
This feeling is now becoming more common for PSG, who have joined the ranks of teams with two Champions League trophies.
In the history of the competition, only seven clubs have managed to win the Champions League in consecutive seasons. The record holder is Real Madrid, who achieved the feat twice. Also on the list are Benfica, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Milan.
France is the seventh country with the most Champions League titles. With three cups, the French are behind Spain (20), England (15), Italy (12), Germany (8), Holland (6) and Portugal (4).
The victory against Arsenal was PSG’s fourth of the season. Previously, the team had already won the French Championship, the UEFA Super Cup and the French Super Cup. The cycle wasn’t perfect in terms of the title because the team fell to Paris FC in the French Cup.
