Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in the Champions League final on Wednesday, holding Bayern Munich to a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena to seal a 6-5 aggregate victory. The result sets up a title clash with Arsenal in Budapest on May 30, after the English side eliminated Atlético Madrid in the other semifinal.
Ousmane Dembélé gave PSG an early lead in the third minute, finishing into the top-left corner after a quick midfield exchange between Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Fabián Ruiz. The goal put the French side in control of the tie, having won the first leg 5-4 in Paris last week in what was a nine-goal thriller.
Bayern pushed for an equalizer throughout the match, with Jonathan Tah heading wide just before halftime. The German champions also appealed for handball decisions involving Nuno Mendes and João Neves, but the referee waved play on. Their persistence paid off in the fourth minute of stoppage time, when a late goal brought the aggregate score to 6-5, but they could not find a second to force extra time.
A Record-Breaking Semifinal
The two-legged tie produced a combined 11 goals, the highest in a Champions League semifinal since the competition's current format began. PSG and Bayern entered the second leg as the top-scoring sides in the tournament, with 43 and 42 goals respectively. The first leg alone featured nine goals, a record for a semifinal match. Read more about that extraordinary encounter.
Bayern Munich had won five of their previous seven home meetings with PSG in the competition and were chasing a repeat of the treble they achieved in 2013 and 2020. But the French side once again left Munich with positive memories. PSG celebrated their first Champions League title in the same city last season, defeating Inter Milan 5-0 in the final under Qatari ownership.
Manager Luis Enrique has kept a largely unchanged squad from that triumph, and the team now has the chance to defend the trophy. The final in Budapest will be a rematch of the 2024 group stage, where PSG and Arsenal drew 1-1 in London before PSG won 2-0 in Paris.
For Bayern, the defeat ends a season that saw them win the Bundesliga and German Cup, but fall short in Europe. Coach Vincent Kompany will now focus on rebuilding for next season, with key players like Aleksandar Pavlovic and Luis Diaz expected to remain central to the squad.
PSG's journey to the final has been marked by resilience and attacking flair. Dembélé, who scored the crucial opener in Munich, has been a key figure throughout the campaign. His bond with Bayern's Dayot Upamecano, both from Évreux, adds a personal subplot to the rivalry.
The final on May 30 will see PSG aim to become the first French club to win back-to-back Champions League titles, while Arsenal seek their first European crown since 1994. Both teams have shown they can score freely, promising an entertaining decider in the Hungarian capital.
