PSG Lift Champions League Trophy for Second Year After Dramatic Penalty Shootout Win Over Arsenal

Paris Saint-Germain have won the Champions League for the second year in a row, beating Arsenal on penalties after a 1-1 draw in extra time on Saturday in Budapest, Hungary.

Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães missed the crucial penalty, firing it over the crossbar, which allowed PSG to win the shootout 4-3 at the Puskas Arena.

For Arsenal, who finally ended their 22-year wait for a Premier League title this season, the search for a first European trophy continues.

Talking about the Champions League Final, Arsenal started well and scored first. Marquinhos tried to clear the ball, but it hit Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard and fell kindly to Kai Havertz. He sprinted from near the halfway line, got into a tight angle, and fired a shot into the top of the net.

The French football giants then came hard with a renewed strategy, as Arsenal were pulled back in the second half. After holding the defending champions for almost an hour, their defense finally broke when Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia inside the box. Following a VAR review and a long pause, Ousmane Dembele stepped up with a powerful strike to level the scores.

Even though Arsenal had only 26% of the ball possession during the match, PSG still failed to score again before the game went to penalties.

Eberechi Eze had already missed one penalty earlier, while David Raya kept Arsenal alive by saving Nuno Mendes’ effort.

Lucas Beraldo then scored PSG’s final penalty, which meant Gabriel had to score to keep Arsenal in the shootout. But he sent his shot over the bar, and PSG players and fans at the Puskas Arena celebrated the win.

Speaking about the latest UCL triumph, PSG captain Marquinhos said it is a wonderful feeling to win back-to-back Champions League titles that truly showcases the passion and talent of the overall team.

"It's incredible, back to back. From the very first day of this season the coach said it's hard to win, and winning twice is even more difficult. So we all had to get back to work. That was the mentality." said PSG captain Marquinhos after the match.

PSG have now become the only other team, apart from Real Madrid, to win the Champions League back-to-back since it was renamed in 1992. Madrid did it earlier when they won three straight titles from 2016 to 2018.

The final on Saturday was also the first Champions League final in 10 years to be decided by a penalty shootout, the last one being Real Madrid’s win over Atlético Madrid.

Across the long history of the European Cup, which started in 1955, PSG are now just the 10th team to win the Champions League trophy in back-to-back seasons.