Arsenal is the Champions League final! The French have outclassed Bayern and are going to Budapest to defend their trophy

PSG – Arsenal, the final of the 2025-2026 season of the world's most important interclub competition, will take place on May 30, in Budapest. The Parisians won the trophy for the first time last year after an improbable 5-0 thrashing of Inter, while Arsenal have never got their name on the trophy, losing the 2006 final to Barcelona.

Parisienne Walkways » PSG returns to action and writes history again at the Allianz Arena

On the immaculate turf of the Allianz Arena, where PSG first achieved their own European Grail last year, football again promises to go beyond the limits of the natural.

The return of the Champions League semifinal between the Bavarians and the Parisians comes after an incandescent 5-4 in the French capitala match that looked more like a runaway nuclear reaction than a football game. Kvaratskhelia, Kane, Dembele, Luis Diaz and Olise turned the pitch into a laboratory where every touch seemed like a new discovered chemical element, unstable and difficult, even impossible to control.

“When you are capable, pretend to be incapable; when you are active, pretend to be inactive,” wrote Sun Tzu in The Art of War, a 6th-century BC military text on strategy. Neither Luis Enrique nor Vincent Kompany seem to be followers of these doctrines in the penultimate act of the strongest interclub competition on the planet. They are capable and show that they are capable. They don't hide anything, they don't fake weakness and they don't give an inch. There will be no catenaccio in Bavaria tonight, let's be sure of that.

There are evenings when football loses its human character and acquires something demiurgic, as if some capricious creators shape the chaos according to their own rules and are not understood, for example, by the conservative spirit of the Super League. Bayern and PSG seem doomed to exactly this kind of show. From the 2020 final, won by the Bavarians in the pandemic that emptied the world's stadiums, to the madness at the Parc des Princes a week ago, tonight's duel promises more than can be expressed in words.

Ousmane Ballon d'Or. Where are you, Kane?

… and the match delivered a show right from the start! In the 3rd minute, Fabian Ruiz launched a lightning counterattack, the ball reached Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, and the Georgian found Ousmane Dembele excellently in the box. The Ballon d'Or did not forgive Neuer and quickly opened the scoring for the Parisians.

Afterwards, the “Star of the South” of Germany, as Bayern Munich is also nicknamed, tried to dismantle the PSG defense methodically, step by step. However, it seemed that Luis Enrique's boys had dreamed of the Bavarians: every German player was closely guarded by a “shadow” in black kit with yellow inserts.

Only “Lucho” Diaz seemed really connected to the game. In the 14th minute, the Colombian made an excellent pass to Olise, at the edge of the six-meter box, but the Frenchman was blocked in extremis. Eight minutes later, the same Diaz put Zaire-Emery in trouble and shot at the far corner, but it was wide of the goal. Olise also finished similarly, in the 27th minute, also over the crossbar.

Inevitably, spirits flared in the 29th minutewhen Nuno Mendes' henchman from the box was not sanctioned. Confused are the ways of modern arbitration. Just three minutes away, Joao Neves came close to repeating and heading in again. This time, however, unlike in the tour, Neuer had an excellent intervention and denied in the corner.

The end of the half belonged to Jamal Musiala. The German star shot no less than four times in the space of three minutes: twice he calibrated his execution well, sending it into the goal area, and two other attempts went wide.

The most dangerous chance came in the 43rd minute when he broke unhindered through the central area and shot powerfully, placed, but Safonov made an excellent save. 1-0 at half-time for PSG, just 45 minutes away from the third Champions League final in history and the second in a row.

Bayern, unrecognizable. Luis Enrique, tactical lesson for the younger Vincent Kompany

At the beginning of the second half, Bayern stood out more aggressively, pressured by the passage of time. However, the first chances belonged to the Parisians. Two, in the 56th minute. “Kvaradona”, in the 57th minute. Neuer intervened excellently each time. Doue was fully into his role and had another important opportunity in the 64th minute at the end of an individual move, but again Neuer kept Bayern alive.

It seemed only a matter of time before the French booked their flight to Budapest. Or were we to fall prey to the adage that you only really beat the Germans when they get on the coach?

Luis Diaz and Michael Olise came close to equalizing in the 69th and 70th minutesand Doue could have closed the match two minutes later, but he only sent it into the side net, from an angle. Kane continued to be absent from the game.

PSG also remained more dangerous at the end, through Doue or through the unpredictable Georgian in the left lane. Bayern no longer seemed to really believe in their own strength, paradoxically somehow, while PSG gave the feeling of being in control at all timeseven to the shy chances of Karl or Jackson in the end.

However, in the fourth minute of extra time, Harry Kane restored the tie, giving the Bavarians a minute of hope. They couldn't take advantage and PSG is one step away from writing history in the Champions League. Let it be Budapest 2026, after Munich 2025?!

Bayern Munich – PSG 1-1 (5-6, overall)

Final match, score 1-1, 6-5 on aggregate for PSG, who are going to another Champions League final.

Minute 90+5: Bayern force extra time.
Minute 90+4: Harry Kane reduces the deficit with a powerful shot from inside the box.
The 88th minute: Chance for Karl at the gate of Safonov, who sends into the block. Chance for Barcola at the other goal as well, whose shot to the long corner is denied by Neuer in a shot from the corner of the field.

The 85th minute: The last change at Bayern: Upamecano leaves, Karl enters. At the same time, Mayulu replaces Nuno Mendes for PSG.
The 83rd minute: Nuno Mendes tries to take Manuel Neuer by surprise from long range, but misses the target.
The 79th minute: Change also at Bayern: Nicholas Jackson replaces Jamal Musiala. Meanwhile, Kvaratskhelia can't finish after some sensational action and a 'sombrero'.

The 76th minute: Beraldo and Lucas Hernandez will strengthen PSG's defense, Desire Doue and Fabian Ruiz come out.
The 72nd minute: From the corner, Desire Doue shoots into the side netting, at the end of an action orchestrated by Kvaratskhelia.
The 70th minute: From a good position, Olise, clearly not in his element this evening, shoots weakly, without causing problems to the Ukrainian goalkeeper of the Parisians.

0 cornersrecord Bayern until the 70th minute. Instead, the Parisians benefited from 5.

The 69th minute: Good chance for Diaz after a Davies foray into the lane. Rejects Safonov.
The 67th minute: Changes in Kompany's camp as well: out Stanisic and Tah, in Kim and Alphonso Davies.
The 64th minute: Doe completes another action with a shot on goal, with the ground, but Neuer solves this ball as well. Meanwhile, Dembele, absent from the match, leaves the pitch. Barcola enters in his place.

The 57th minute: Kvaratskhelia shoots from the corner, but the goalkeeper from Bayern rejects in extremis with his foot.
The 56th minute: Desire Doue shoots from short, powerfully, but the trajectory of the ball went right to the center of Neuer's goal, who rejects without problems
The 51st minute: Bayern, with an extra dose of aggression at the start of the second half. Pressed for some time now, the Bavarians are constantly flying over the area of ​​the opponent's box, but without this materializing in any chance at Safonov's goal.

The second half began with the Parisians in possession. They started in characteristic style, with the balloon thrown directly into the car. No changes at halftime.

End of half on “Allianz”. The final frame is punctuated by Tah's header narrowly missing the target. 1-0 for PSG, at the entrance to the cabins.

The 45th minute: Musiala also tries from the edge of the box. Even this time he doesn't hit the goal.
The 44th minute: The same Musiala fails to frame his execution from 12-13 meters, the angle being still a difficult one to restore equality.
The 43rd minute: The best chance for the Bavarians. From the central area, Musiala penetrates to the 16-meter line, shoots strongly placed, but Safonov rejects.

Musiala 42: The Germans' first shot on goal belongs to Musiala. The soft and low shot does not cause problems for Safonov, however.
The 33rd minute: Joao Neves heads a huge chance from six yards. Neuer clears in the corner.
The 30th minute: The stadium catches fire: the Bavarians claim a goal in the box, but it is not granted

The 27th minute: Olise's good work from the right flank signs the most important chance of the match for the Bavarians. The Frenchman dribbles past Nuno Mendes and shoots to the long corner, but his execution was also not on target. No shot on goal by Safonov until this minute.
The 22nd minute: Luis Diaz confuses Zaire-Emery in the lane and shoots, from an angle, to the far corner, well over the goal.
The 21st minute: Kvaratshkelia's deflected shot from the edge of the box is easily saved by Neuer.

7 matchesKvicha Kvaratskhelia now has consecutive offensive contributions, goals or assists, the first player in the competition's history to do so.

Minute 14: Important chance for the Bavarians. “Lucho” Diaz sends them in front of Olise's goal, but the Frenchman is blocked at the last moment from six yards.
Minute 8: Nuno Mendes gets his first caution of the match. They play hard and we see man-to-man marking all over the field.
Minute 3: PSG GOAL! At the end of a lightning counter-attack, Kvaratskhelia passes to Dembele, at the spot, and the Ballon d'Or finishes safely, under the bar.

Kick-off at the Allianz Arena, the “Fusball Arena” for Champions League duels. The atmosphere is incandescent. Let the show begin!

Bayern Munich – PSG, starting teams:

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer – Stanisic, Upamecano, Tah, Laimer – Kimmich, Pavlovic – Olise, Musiala, L. Diaz – Kane
Reserves: Ulreich, Urbig – Kim, Goretzka, Jackson, Davies, Bischof, Ito, Guerreiro, Karl
Coach: Vincent Kompany

PSG (4-3-3): Safonov – Zaire-Emery, Marquinhos, Pacho, N. Mendes – F. Ruiz, Vitinha, J. Neves – Doue, Dembele – Kvaratshkelia
Reserves: Vignaud, Laurendon, Marin – Beraldo, Zabarnyi, Ramos, K. Lee, L. Hernandez, Mayulu, D. Fernandez, Barcola, Mbaye
Coach: Luis Enrique

Referee: Joao Pinheiro (Portugal)
ASSISTANT: Bruno Jesus and Luciano Maia (both Portugal)
Book: Espen Eskas (Norway)
VAR referee: Marco Di Bello (Italy)
Assistant VAR: Tiago Martins (Portugal)