Edi Umoh
Holders Paris Saint-Germain set up a Champions League final against Arsenal after a 1-1 second-leg draw at Bayern Munich secured a 6-5 aggregate victory on Wednesday.
PSG exploded on the counter less than three minutes in and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele put Luis Enrique’s visitors ahead on the night and two goals up in the tie.
PSG largely succeeded in subduing Bayern’s attacking threat, despite Harry Kane’s stoppage-time goal.
On their return to Munich’s Allianz Arena, the scene of their greatest triumph against Inter Milan in last year’s final, PSG once again emphasised their excellence in a competition they coveted without success for so long.
The French giants will be favourites to lift the trophy for a second successive season when they face Premier League leaders Arsenal on May 30 in Budapest.
The French giants are hoping to become only the second back-to-back winners since 1990, after Real Madrid.
Bayern were angered by some first-half refereeing decisions but were largely toothless in attack.
The six-time European champions have still not reached the final since beating PSG in the 2020 showpiece in Lisbon.
Both sides were playing their 52nd match of the season in all competitions — not even counting last summer’s Club World Cup — but only the hosts looked weary.
So dangerous in the first leg, Bayern were surprisingly stodgy in attack, with Michael Olise in particular having an off night.
In the midst of a record-breaking season, Bayern’s fourth defeat in all competitions will sting for a club set to wonder what might have been.
Dembele scores early
With Bayern already Bundesliga champions and PSG also on track for the Ligue 1 title, both sides heavily rotated their line-ups in the weekend’s league fixtures.
But both teams only made one change to their starting XIs compared to last week’s spectacle in Paris. Only PSG’s was forced, with Fabian Ruiz in for the injured Achraf Hakimi.
The high-octane first leg, won 5-4 by PSG, was widely lauded as among the best matches in the competition’s history and Wednesday’s game offered more of the same early.
Ruiz, starting his first European match since January, set Khvicha Kvaratskhelia down the left flank with an excellent through ball.
The Georgian latched onto the pass, blazed past his marker before cutting back for the perfectly placed Dembélé to slam home.
Bayern conceded after just 36 seconds against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and fought back to win but seemed stunned by the early goal this time around.
Olise, Kane and Joshua Kimmich all mislaid passes in the opening half-hour, ending promising attacks.
Bayern surrounded referee Joao Pinheiro claiming a penalty on the half-hour mark when Vitinha’s clearance hit Joao Neves’s outstretched arm in the box, but their appeals were waved away.
The home players had already been left incensed when PSG full-back Nuno Mendes was not shown a second yellow card for handball.
PSG went inches from scoring a second but Manuel Neuer tipped a close-range Neves header just wide of the post.
The home team rediscovered their rhythm just before the break, with Jamal Musiala forcing an excellent low save from PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov and blasting over the bar.
PSG showed a more measured side to their game in the second half, sitting back to absorb Bayern pressure while never losing their own threat on the counter.
Neuer made fine second-half saves from Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue to keep Bayern in the tie.
The Bavarians dominated possession and territory but could not break through until Kane scored for a seventh straight Champions League match in stoppage time.
PSG will defend their title as European champions in Budapest on May 30 where they will face Arsenal, who beat Atletico Madrid over two legs.
AFP
