Ousmane Dembele leads PSG to Champions League title defense

Ousmane Dembele led Paris Saint-Germain to a dramatic Champions League final victory, guiding them to become the first side since 2018 to defend Europe’s premier trophy.

The match started poorly for PSG. In the sixth minute, Kai Havertz capitalised on Marquinhos’ error, sprinting into space and smashing the ball past Matvey Safonov into the roof of the net. Arsenal then sat deep, managing just 22% possession while defending resolutely against an unfocused PSG in the first half.

The turning point came after halftime. The title holders played with renewed purpose and earned a penalty when Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Dembele stepped up coolly to convert the spot-kick, equalising in the 65th minute.

The remainder of regular time was balanced, with Arsenal threatening more while Kvaratskhelia struck the post. Extra time saw Arsenal claim a strong penalty after Nuno Mendes tussled with Noni Madueke, but VAR backed the referee’s no-call decision. In the shootout, Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes missed for Arsenal, sealing PSG’s triumph.

Dembele’s composure from the penalty spot proved decisive in Budapest.