Paris Saint-Germain have secured their place in the 2025 UEFA Champions League final after a 2-1 win over Arsenal in the semi-final second leg on Wednesday night at the Parc des Princes, sealing a 3-1 aggregate victory. Goals from Fabián Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi were enough to cancel out Bukayo Saka’s second-half strike and end Arsenal’s European dream.
Coming into the match with a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg in London, PSG were calm and calculated from the outset. Luis Enrique’s side dominated the early proceedings, pressing high and denying Arsenal the space to build through midfield.
The breakthrough came in the 27th minute when Fabián Ruiz collected the ball outside the area and unleashed a low drive that deflected off William Saliba and beat a diving David Raya. That strike doubled PSG’s aggregate lead and set the tone for the remainder of the first half.
Arsenal tried to respond but struggled to find rhythm against PSG’s compact defense. Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard had half-chances, but PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma remained largely untested in the opening 45 minutes.
In the second half, Arsenal increased the tempo, knowing they needed two goals to push the tie into extra time. However, as the Gunners committed bodies forward, they were exposed at the back. In the 72nd minute, Ousmane Dembélé burst down the left flank and squared the ball for Hakimi, who calmly slotted past Raya to make it 2-0 on the night.
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Arsenal showed spirit and quickly pulled one back through Bukayo Saka four minutes later, with the winger finishing off a swift move involving Ødegaard and Trossard. Despite a flurry of late attacks, including a close-range effort from Declan Rice that Donnarumma superbly saved, Arsenal couldn’t find the goals needed.
PSG will now face Inter Milan in the final in Munich on May 31, their second final appearance in five years. Arsenal’s exit ends a promising campaign under Mikel Arteta, who said post-match: “We were the better team in spells, but we lacked composure in key moments. We’ll come back stronger.”
