By Kelvin Tsokaa
Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in a second straight UEFA Champions League final after a dramatic draw with Bayern Munich in Munich to advance 6-5 on aggregate.
The result sends the reigning champions back to the final in Budapest on May 30, 2026 where they will face Arsenal in the UEFA champions league final.
The first leg at the Parc des Princes instantly entered Champions League folklore. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele each scored twice as PSG edged Bayern 5-4 in the highest-scoring semifinal match in the competition’s history.
Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot to become the first English player to net in six successive Champions League fixtures, but Joao Neves’ header and a frantic exchange saw PSG lead 5-2 before Dayot Upamecano and Luis Diaz pulled two back late.
Wednesday’s second leg at the Allianz Arena was tense but less chaotic. Bayern needed to overturn a one-goal deficit and leveled the night at 1-1, yet PSG’s aggregate lead proved enough.
The French champions returned to Munich, the scene of their 5-0 win over Inter Milan last May that delivered their first Champions League trophy. Manager Luis Enrique, who also won the competition with Barcelona in 2015 after a semifinal win in Munich, said his side came with “brilliant memories” and no intention to sit back.
Bayern pushed hard to produce another famous European comeback, but PSG weathered the pressure despite missing right-back Achraf Hakimi through a thigh injury sustained in the first leg.
With the 6-5 aggregate victory, PSG became just the second side in the modern Champions League era with a chance to retain the trophy. They now face Arsenal in the May 30 final in Budapest, aiming to cap a historic run with back-to-back European titles.
