Parisians Retain in Penalties: PSG vs Arsenal UCL Final Recap

The last remaining trophy and most prized possession of European club football awaits its owner before the World Cup. The reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain defend their UCL title against the newest Premier League champions Arsenal in Puskás Aréna.

(Image cred to nytimes.com)

After the 2020 UEFA Super Cup Final and the 2023 UEL Final, Budapest hosts its third and most prestigious final in Puskás Aréna, which is also the home of the Hungarian National Team.

12 months ago, PSG demolished Inter Milan to get their first taste of European glory and now, they came all the way again to defend their title and add another UCL trophy to their cabinet. Since Luis Enrique’s takeover in 2023, PSG became a brutal force in European football, making into their second final in 3 years. The 56-year-old Spaniard has a good chance to bring back-to-back UCL glory according to the latest statistics. His PSG made their way into the last season’s finale by pushing 3 English teams aside and since the Quarter-Finals Second Leg of the 2024/2025 season, they are unbeaten against the Premier League sides.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are in their first Champions League Final for the first time in 20 years. Mikel Arteta’s team has been showing valid progress in the last few years and their efforts finally paid off in forms of the Premier League trophy and UCL Final. The Gunners seek for double and also revenge against the Parisians. They previously faced PSG in last year’s Semi-Finals and were sent home empty-handed over both games. Arsenal intend to break the English teams’ poor run against the reigning champions and bring home the most prestigious silverware in European club football.

Coming to this important game, good news are all over PSG, as the French side doesn’t expect to have any players missing in their starting eleven. Achraf Hakimi was missing since the Lorient game with a hamstring injury, but he’s expected to be fit to start in the final. However, on the Gunners side, there’s a right-back problem. Ben White is hit with a knee injury and Jurriën Timber is doubtful. It’s not certain if Arteta chooses Timber or Mosquera for the right-back role and to go up against Kvaratskhelia.

So, without further ado, let’s see the starting elevens of both teams:

PSG XI: Safonov - Hakimi - Marquinhos - Pacho - Mendes - Neves - Vitinha - Ruiz - Doué - Kvaratskhelia - Dembélé

Arsenal XI: Raya - Mosquera - Saliba - Gabriel - Hincapié - Rice - Lewis-Skelly - Saka - Ødegaard - Trossard - Havertz

(Image credit to sportsmole.co.uk)

First Half

The game started with a surprise early goal by Arsenal in the 6th minute. Marquinhos’ attempt to clear the ball away hit Leandro Trossard and lands in front of Kai Havertz, who sprints the ball into the PSG box and puts it to top bins from a very tight angle. The German attacker once again finds the opening goal in a Champions League final and the Gunners take the lead. With this goal, Arsenal started playing more cautious and defensive against their opponents. PSG players expect a penalty 10 minutes later due to a rather suspicious attempt by Saka to clear the ball, but no such decision is given. Matvey Safonov narrowly escapes a severe head injury in the 25th minute, when he stretches to claim Saka’s dangerous cross before Havertz does and gets his head hit by the German. 15 minutes later, Nuno Mendes dribbles past the right-back Mosquera and whips a strong cross. The ball isn’t cleared well, but it goes out for a goal kick after Fabián Ruiz’s sudden attempt for a header. Before the halftime whistle, the Gunners find an opportunity to extend the lead with Havertz again, but this time Marquinhos is in the right place to deflect and the ball goes to corner. However, despite initially deciding to let Arsenal use the set piece, the referee changes his mind and blows the halftime whistle. Under the Gunners’ protests, the first half ends with a 1-0 Arsenal lead.

(Image cred to sportschau.de)

Second Half 

Although Arsenal approached the second half with a similar manner of play from the first half, PSG managed to find some cracks in the Gunners’ defensive structure. First, David Raya saved Hakimi’s freekick in the 55th minute, but the breaking point happened 5 minutes later. Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia pair up to march into the Gunners’ box with quick passes and while executing their play, Mosquera brings down the Georgian in the box. The Spaniard on a yellow gets away without seeing another one, but the penalty is given and Ousmane Dembélé scores from the spot to make it 1-1 in the 65th minute. This goal brings more confidence to PSG’s attacking play and more pressure to Arsenal players, who start to make more mistakes, as they get forced out to attack for another goal. Although the Parisians break through the Gunners defence with quick transitions and counter attacks, neither Kvaratskhelia nor Vitinha manage to find the target. Newly-subbed Bradley Barcola shows his fresh energy by rapidly dribbling past the Arsenal defenders, but his lack of ball control and clinical finishing wasted two crucial opportunities for PSG. Not to mention, one of them being a chance to end the game in 90+7th minute. So the second half concludes in a 1-1 draw and the game goes to extra time, just like the previous two finals that took place in Puskás Aréna.

(Image credit to kicker.de)

Extra Time

In contrast to the second half, in which the pace of the game picked up, both teams play don’t take too much risks and bring down the tempo. In the 102nd minute, it’s the English side protesting for a penalty now, as Noni Madueke finds himself on the ground inside the PSG box. However, not only the referee and VAR decide for no penalty, he also shows Rice and Arteta yellow card for protesting too much. Towards the end of the second half of extra time, Timber tries an unorthodox goal chance, as he tries to outsmart Safonov from a very tight angle, but his attempt ends on side netting. The scoreline doesn’t change in the 30 minutes of extra time and the penalties decide the champions of Europe.

(Image credit to lemonde.fr)

Penalty Shootout

Both teams kick off the penalties with goals, Ramos and Gyökeres send the ball and the goalkeepers to opposite corners. Doué keeps the good start going for PSG with another shot to bottom right, but Arsenal make the first slip, as Eze fails to find the target. However the Parisians’ advantage lives short and Raya stretches to save Mendes’ kick on the third attempt. Rice doesn’t turn down the opportunity and brings balance to scoreline once again. Hakimi and Martinelli also convert their penalties into goals and the pressure builds up for the fifth penalty kicks. In the duel of two Brazilian centre-backs, Beraldo steps up for PSG first and scores. However, his compatriot Gabriel, puts his shot over the bar and with that miss, the penalty shootout ends in favor of PSG with 4-3 scoreline.

(Image credit to 11freunde.de)

With this result, the Parisians successfully retained their Champions League title and became the ninth team in competition’s history to win consecutive finals. Luis Enrique equals Bob Paisley, Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane with his third successful campaign and keeps chasing Carlo Ancelotti, who has 5 UCL titles to his name.

Despite dominating the Gunners on every stat, PSG wasn’t always in control of the game. After luck wasn't on their side during Arsenal’s first goal, the PSG attackers, who are very clinical in front, got neutralised by the solid and very crowded Arsenal defence. They managed to flip the script on the North-London side, but they could have finished the game after 90 minutes, if they didn’t lack clinical finishing. Vitinha takes the last Player of the Match award for dictating the tempo of his team and quality passing that led to some attacking opportunities. Meanwhile, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia also collect the Player of the Season award with his sensational performance, especially on the Knockout Stages.

On the other hand, Arsenal actually got off to a perfect start with an early goal, but their approach afterwards did cost them. Instead of trying more ways to extend that lead and put PSG under pressure, they completely shut down to defend their lead. Gabriel and Saliba did a great job in defence in the first half, but against PSG’s front three and creative midfielders, this approach should have cracked at some point and eventually it did with Mosquera. Especially after the equaliser, they made many mistakes of losing the ball due to individuals wasting too much time with it and became more vulnerable to PSG attacks, which they barely survived in 90 minutes. Only 5 shots with only 1 finding the target and 28% ball possession in the entire 120 minutes, they let the Parisians dictate the tempo and put the pressure on them. The Gunners may not be happy with some refereeing decisions, but it’s no excuse for their mostly negative football approach in the final. They showed valiant effort by ending the 20-years wait for a UCL Final, but despite starting in front, they couldn’t apply the right strategy to get to the finish line first.

(Image credit to @championsleague on Instagram)

To sum up, PSG and Arsenal faced each other for the UCL trophy in Budapest, in which the Parisians prevailed. This victory gets PSG to defend another title of theirs, the UEFA Super Cup against the fresh Europa League winners Aston Villa. We’ll see soon, if the Parisians will be able to push another English team aside to retain that title title as well or the Villans take revenge this time. 

Article written by Emre Albas © Emre Albas 2026