PSG beat Arsenal on penalties to win back-to-back Champions League titles

Paris Saint-Germain has successfully defended their Champions League title, defeating Arsenal 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a tense final that ended 1-1 after extra time.

The victory cements PSG's status as a dominant force in European football under manager Luis Enrique. Arsenal defender Gabriel's missed penalty sealed the win for the French club, making them the first team to retain the trophy since Real Madrid's three-year reign from 2016 to 2018.

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It’s stronger than last year because we knew before the match just how difficult it would be to play against Arsenal.

Enrique praised his team's resilience, noting the final was more challenging than their previous victory. "As a club and a city, it’s incredible to win, and I think we deserved it over the course of the season. The final was a real battle," he stated.

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As a club and a city, it’s incredible to win, and I think we deserved it over the course of the season. The final was a real battle.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, though devastated by the loss, highlighted the team's progress. "It’s gutting. It’s devastating to lose a Champions League final on penalties," he said. "But we try to take a lot of perspective from how far we’ve come as a group. An incredible season. Given it absolutely everything up until this point. We took the game to penalties. It’s a lottery."

Arsenal had taken the lead in the sixth minute through Kai Havertz, but PSG equalized with an Ousmane Dembele penalty in the 65th minute. The match then became frantic before heading to a shootout, where PSG's strong record under Enrique proved decisive. The Spanish coach has won 12 of his last 13 one-off club finals.

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It’s gutting. It’s devastating to lose a Champions League final on penalties. But we try to take a lot of perspective from how far we’ve come as a group. An incredible season. ‌Given it absolutely everything up until this point. We took the game to penalties. It’s a lottery.