Fabián Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi scored for Paris Saint-Germain as they beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Parc des Princes and 3-1 on aggregate in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
PSG went into the Champions League tie with a 1-0 lead after Ousmane Dembélé scored the only goal at the Emirates Stadium. The opening 20 minutes of the second leg saw Arsenal pile the pressure on. Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action several times. The Italian goalkeeper made a superb save early on to deny Martin Ødegaard.
Luis Enrique’s men then gained a foothold and doubled their aggregate advantage in the 27th minute. Declan Rice’s foul led to a free-kick, and after PSG’s delivery into the area was not properly cleared, Ruiz controlled the ball and smashed it past David Raya.
Arsenal Under the Cosh
At this point, PSG had complete control of the tie. Luis Enrique’s men continued to pile on the pressure after half-time.
In the 66th minute, PSG were awarded a penalty due to a handball from Myles Lewis-Skelly following a VAR check. The handball had come off an Achraf Hakimi shot. Vitinha stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Raya made a huge save to keep the Gunners in the tie.
However, if Arsenal fans were daring to dream at this point, their hopes were soon dashed. Hakimi unleashed an expertly-placed shot from the edge of the box in the 72nd minute to put the home side 2-0 up on the night and 3-0 ahead on aggregate.
In the 76th minute, Bukayo Saka pulled one back for the Gunners to give them a faint hope of a comeback again. However, Mikel Arteta’s men had ultimately left it too late and were thoroughly beaten.
PSG to Face Inter
PSG will play in its second UEFA Champions League final in its history. They will face Inter at the Allianz Arena in Munich on 31 May.
Inter last won the Champions League in 2010, when they beat Bayern Munich in the final under José Mourinho. PSG have never won the competition before, losing their only previous final to Bayern in 2020.
PSG are under the guidance of Luis Enrique, who steered Barcelona to the title in 2015 as they beat Juventus 3-1 in the final.
Luis Enrique’s ‘Farmers’ League’ Quip
After the win over Arsenal, Enrique mocked critics of Ligue 1, who describe the league as a “Farmers’ League”.
“The league of farmers, no? We are the league of farmers,” Enrique told TNT Sports. “But it’s nice. We are enjoying the result and the compliments of everybody speaking of our team — our mentality, how we play. It’s nice.
“Mikel Arteta is a great friend, but I don’t agree at all [that Arsenal deserved to win]. They play the way they want and love to play, but in the two legs, we scored more goals than they, and that is the most important thing.
“Arsenal played a great match and we suffered a lot, but we deserve to get to the final.
“How are you going to win the Champions League without a great goalkeeper? Today, Gigi [Gianluigi Donnarumma] was phenomenal, as he was in every qualifying round, like against Liverpool.
“How are you going to win the Champions League without a good defence? They were phenomenal today.”
Conclusion: Champions League Final for the Books
Inter’s clash with PSG will be an exciting final for fans and soccer betting enthusiasts. Paris Saint-Germain (2.23) are currently favourites to win, while Inter (3.20) are offering competitive odds. A draw (3.35) in regulation time, which would lead to extra time and potentially penalties, is another option.
