Paris Saint-Germain have successfully defended their UEFA
Champions League (UCL) title with a 4-3 win over Arsenal on penalties after a
1-1 draw in regulation time at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Saturday.
The French Champions came from behind to ensure the UCL
trophy remains in Paris, becoming the first side since Real Madrid in 2017 to
successfully defend their title.
The match was a repeat of last season’s UCL semi-final,
where PSG sent Arsenal packing, and Parisians asserted their dominance over the
Gunners in Hungary, thanks to Gabriel Magalhães’ penalty miss in the shootout.
The win extended the Parisiens’ winning streak over English opposition in the UCL knockout rounds to six matches. Kai Havertz and Ousmane Dembele had scored for Arsenal and PSG, respectively, as both sides could not claim victory in regulation time
Arsenal scored with their first attack within the opening
minutes when a ricochet off Leandro Trossard from Marquinhos’ clearance set
Havertz through, and the German was patient before picking out the roof of the
net from an acute angle for 1-0, and a stunned PSG in tow.
Arsenal have conceded only six goals in 14 matches coming
into this encounter, and they defended resolutely to limit PSG to desperate
attempts that were either blocked or smothered, and the Gunners went into the
break with their one-goal lead.
PSG continued to knock and were awarded a penalty for a foul
on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the box, and Dembele stepped up to restore parity
on 65 minutes. The match opened up, and Kvaratskhelia hit outside of the post
with a deflected effort as PSG were in the ascendancy. Vitinha also saw an
effort from just outside the area go agonisingly over the bar. Barcola could
only hit the side netting on the counter in the final minute of added time as
the match went into extra time.
Both exhausted sides dragged the game through the extra 30
minutes before the winner was decided in the shootout, where PSG have won all
five penalty shootouts under Luis Enrique, and Matvey Safonov saved one, and
Gabriel blazed wide as PSG won the UCL for a second time.
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