Paris, May 8 (H.S.): With the help of goals from Fabian Ruíz and Achraf Hakimi, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the second leg of the semi-final on Wednesday night, securing a total aggregate victory of 3-1 to advance to the final of the Champions League 2024-25. This marks the second time in the club’s history that they have reached the final.

Having gained a 1-0 lead in the first leg, PSG delivered a spectacular performance on their home ground, ‘Parc des Princes.’ In the 27th minute, Fabian Ruíz scored the first goal with a powerful shot from outside the box. Then, in the second half, Achraf Hakimi scored the second goal in the 72nd minute, almost sealing the match.

For Arsenal, Bukayo Saka rekindled hope by scoring a goal in the 76th minute, but shortly afterward, he missed an open goal. Earlier, goalkeeper Donnarumma made several fantastic saves, preventing Arsenal from gaining an early lead.

In the 64th minute, PSG was awarded a controversial penalty when Hakimi’s shot deflected off Arsenal’s Luis-Skylie’s hand. However, Vitinha could not convert the opportunity into a goal, as David Raya made a brilliant save.

Now, PSG will face Inter Milan on May 31 (June 1, according to Indian time) in Munich. Previously, PSG reached the final in 2020, where they were defeated by Bayern Munich.

This was Arsenal’s second attempt to reach the final, which could have happened after 19 years. Once again, their quest for a European title remains unfulfilled. Now, Mikel Arteta’s team will focus on becoming the runners-up in the Premier League for the third consecutive time.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar