PSG make Champions League history against Arsenal in 2026 UEFA final
Luis Enrique’s team came into Saturday’s showpiece final with eyes on a long-standing European record.
Paris Saint-Germain have earned plenty of praise for their free-flowing, attacking brand of soccer under Luis Enrique, and it could lead to them making Champions League history in Saturday’s final against Arsenal at Puskás Arena in Budapest.
PSG had scored 44 goals in this season’s Champions League coming into the last game, just one shy of Barcelona’s all-time record of 45, which the Spanish club set in the 1999-2000 season. One goal would see the French champions equal the record, while two would allow them to claim it outright.
PSG go level with Barcelona UCL record
With Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué leading the attack, two goals were unlikely to be out of reach, although PSG were coming up against one of Europe’s most formidable defenses.
Mikel Arteta’s team conceded only four goals in eight games during the league phase, two of which came after they had already secured qualification for the round of 16. Additionally, the Gunners came into the final having allowed just two goals in their last seven matches.
As the final turned out, it was the Gunners who took an early lead through Havertz before parking the proverbial bus. Then, penalty to PSG just after the hour, neatly dispatched by Dembélé. Record tied with Barça. The game moved into extra time with objective 46 still in play.
Arsenal defense faces biggest test
PSG’s 44 goals came in 16 games, an average of 2.75 per match. Barcelona’s 45 goals also came in 16 games, an average of 2.81 per match, although the Catalan club did not reach the final in 2000.
The 1999-2000 campaign was one of several seasons in which the Champions League featured two group stages, meaning teams had to play 17 games to win the tournament. That remains the maximum number of matches a champion can play in the current format if they are involved in the knockout phase playoff round.
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