Paris Saint-Germain retained the Champions League title with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Arsenal after a 1-1 draw in the final. Désiré Doué was the standout performer, driving PSG forward in the second half and inspiring their fightback after an early goal from Kai Havertz had stunned the French side.
Paris Saint-Germain Player Ratings
Matvej Safonov – 6: Appeared to forget that goalkeepers are allowed to use their hands for Havertz’s strike. Did not get near any penalties in the shootout but did not need to.
Achraf Hakimi – 7: Was not 100% fit after returning from a month out with a thigh injury and could not have the same influence he usually does.
Nuno Mendes – 6: Arsenal thought they should have had a penalty in extra time after an incident with Madueke. Weak penalty in the shootout saved by Raya.
Marquinhos – 7: The PSG captain could do nothing about the unfortunate deflection for the opening goal. Probably did not expect to be substituted, however.
William Pacho – 7: Came off second best for most of his ding-dong battle with Havertz but recovered to make some key blocks in extra time.
Fabian Ruiz – 6: Should have been booked in the first minute for throwing the ball away and lacked his usual composure in central midfield.
Vitinha – 8: The heartbeat of PSG’s midfield was everywhere as usual. Should have done better with a great chance to win and was not happy to be taken off in extra time.
João Neves – 8: The Portugal midfielder was unsettled by the physicality of his battle with Lewis-Skelly but did not give up and played a key role.
Désiré Doué – 9: Seemed to get frustrated early on at being double marked by Hincapié and Trossard. Much improved after the break as PSG stepped things up.
Ousmane Dembélé – 7: Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner flitted in and out of the game but helped to create the penalty and ruthlessly dispatched it into the bottom corner.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 8: Grew in influence after an uncharacteristically slow start. The Georgian’s jinking feet forced Mosquera to concede the penalty before later striking the woodwork.
Substitutes: Bradley Barcola (for Kvaratskhelia, 84) – 6: Express pace almost resulted in two goals at the end of normal time. Gonçalo Ramos (for Dembele, 90+6) – 6: Could not get much change out of Saliba and Gabriel. Warren Zaïre-Emery (for Ruiz, 95) – 6: Gave PSG extra legs in midfield. Lucas Beraldo (for Vitinha, 105) – 7: Cool penalty in the shootout. Illia Zabarnyi (for Marquinhos, 105) – N/A.
Arsenal Player Ratings
David Raya – 7: Largely a spectator for the first half. Could do nothing to stop Dembélé equalising from the spot and came close to being Arsenal’s hero in the shootout.
Cristhian Mosquera – 6: Preferred to Timber and kept Kvaratskhelia quiet in the first half. But clumsily gave away a penalty and was hooked after escaping a second booking.
Gabriel Magalhães – 7: Two outstanding goal-saving tackles in the first half and set the tone for Arsenal throughout. But will always be remembered for the skied penalty in the shootout.
William Saliba – 8: So reliable defensively and a class act in possession. The France defender never looks ruffled, even when facing the best attack in world football.
Piero Hincapié – 7: Got the better of his man Doué in their personal duel on several occasions and also provided the occasional attacking threat.
Myles Lewis-Skelly – 8: More than justified his selection ahead of Zubimendi. A critical block to deflect Kvaratskhelia’s shot on to a post and never stopped running.
Declan Rice – 7: Sacrificed his attacking instincts for the good of the team and made some key tackles. Almost punished by Barcola for losing the ball with the last act of normal time.
Martin Ødegaard – 6: The captain helped to frustrate PSG in the first half without offering much going forward. Still a surprise to see him substituted straight after the equaliser.
Bukayo Saka – 7: Not his most effective performance in attack, even if it was clear that PSG were always wary of his threat, and did his job in defensive rearguard.
Kai Havertz – 8: Took his goal – the second he has scored in a Champions League final – beautifully and led the line impressively throughout.
Leandro Trossard – 6: Did not know much about his assist for Havertz’s goal and showed some nice touches. Ran out of steam after the break.
Substitutes: Jurriën Timber (for Mosquera, 66) – 6: Almost got on the end of one cross but had his hands full with Barcola. Viktor Gyökeres (for Ødegaard, 66) – 6: Shot deflected wide in extra time was only sight of goal apart from penalty in shootout. Gabriel Martinelli (for Trossard, 83) – 7: Wasted a great opportunity to set up Madueke with a heavy pass. Excellent penalty. Noni Madueke (for Saka, 83) – 7: Could not believe he was not awarded a penalty after bursting into the area. Eberechi Eze (for Havertz, 91) – 5: Little impact in extra time and a nervous penalty. Martín Zubimendi (for Lewis-Skelly, 91) – 6: A steadying influence when he came on for extra time.
