By Martin Graham
Paris Saint-Germain secured a place in the Champions League final on Wednesday night with a 2-1 win over Arsenal in the semi-final second leg at the Parc des Princes. Carrying a one-goal advantage from the first encounter, PSG extended their lead before halftime when Fabian Ruiz struck from the edge of the box following a defensive clearance.
Shortly after the break, Vitinha missed a penalty awarded via VAR, but Achraf Hakimi soon found the net to double the hosts’ lead on the night and stretch their overall margin. Bukayo Saka’s response for the visitors trimmed the gap, yet his missed opportunity later denied Arsenal a dramatic ending. PSG held firm and will now meet Inter in the final on Saturday, 31 May.
Arsenal began strongly and quickly created chances. Declan Rice came closest early on, narrowly heading wide, while Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli both tested Gianluigi Donnarumma with sharp efforts. The Gunners looked dangerous through direct play and set pieces, troubling the home defense.
Despite this promising start, the London side were reminded of PSG’s attacking threat when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck the upright. PSG, missing Ousmane Dembele due to a hamstring issue, still posed plenty of danger going forward.
The first goal arrived from midfielder Ruiz, who took advantage of a poorly headed clearance by Thomas Partey. Ruiz brought the ball down and fired home with precision to widen PSG’s aggregate lead.
Bradley Barcola had a chance to extend the lead moments later but was denied by David Raya. Arsenal, despite their energetic beginning, entered the break trailing by just one goal.
Arsenal resumed their attack after halftime but couldn’t find a breakthrough. Saka had the best chance around the hour mark, only to be denied by Donnarumma’s alert fingertip stop. Moments later, PSG earned a spot-kick, but Raya saved Vitinha’s attempt.
The home team didn’t dwell on the miss for long. Hakimi pounced shortly after to stretch PSG’s cushion to three goals over the two legs. Saka did manage to reduce the deficit after a disputed foul involving Marquinhos, but the winger failed to take another big chance later, which might have altered the match’s outcome.
PSG’s determination and balance saw them through the final stages, securing a return to the competition’s final for the first time since the 2019/20 season.
Though they leave empty-handed, Arsenal can reflect positively on their European journey. Their early pressure and overall second-leg performance showed promise, and they were arguably the better side in Paris despite the defeat.
Arsenal advanced smoothly through the league stage and overcame PSV Eindhoven with a weakened squad. A commanding quarter-final display against Real Madrid stood out, and even in this semi-final defeat, their style and intensity were clear to see.
While failure to capitalize on key chances proved costly, Arsenal leaves the competition with plenty of encouragement for future campaigns.
