Paris Saint-Germain returns to Champions League final

MUNICH— Ousmane Dembélé scored early and Paris Saint-Germain eliminated Bayern Munich with a 1-1 draw to succeed in the Champions League final again on Wednesday.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia raced clear after playing a straightforward one-two with Fabián Ruiz in midfield, then picked out the unmarked Dembélé to comb the ball in under the crossbar within the third minute of the semifinal second leg.

READ: ‘Magical’ Dembele brace fires Paris Saint-Germain top in France

By the point Harry Kane equalized in stoppage time it was too late to maintain alive Bayern’s dream of a Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League treble.

The draw gave PSG, the defending champion, a 6-5 win on aggregate after edging their encounter 5-4 in the primary leg in Paris last week.

The French league leader will face Arsenal in the ultimate in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30, after the Gunners defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Tuesday to progress 2-1 on aggregate.

READ: French fans finally have capital city derby with PSG vs PFC

“It’s magnificent, two finals,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. “Now we are going to go there and take a look at to fetch a second star. I said to the players we’re warriors.”

PSG’s defense — breached 4 times in Paris last week — kept Bayern’s much vaunted attack of Kane, Luis Díaz and Micheal Olise largely in check.

PSG’s Ousmane Dembele celebrates after scoring their first goal throughout the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)

“We all know the best way to suffer and we’re ready for what we have now to face,” PSG midfielder João Neves said. “We’re very happy with how far we’ve come.”

By the point Kane let fly for his fifty fifth goal across all competitions including the German Supercup for Bayern this season, PSG’s substitutes were already lining as much as have a good time.

The England captain’s goal ensured Bayern has scored in every competitive match this season. Bayern coach Vincent Kompany struck an optimistic tone despite the frustration.

“We made progress this season,” Kompany said. “We now have to do it again.”

Real Madrid was the last team to attain back-to-back titles — winning three in a row from 2016-18.

“Shoot us into the ultimate,” the Bayern fans had urged their team with an enormous choreography because the combatants emerged on the sphere.

Bayern only needed one goal to level the tie, but it surely soon turned to 2 after Fabián sent Kvaratskhelia on his way.

If the Georgia star was surprised by how much space he was offered by the absent defense, he didn’t stop to query it. Desiré Doué was an alternative choice queuing beside Dembélé to take a shot with Luis Díaz the closest Bayern player back.

Bayern’s players complained the already-booked Nuno Mendes must have been booked again when the ball hit his arm in the primary half, but referee João Pinheiro blew as a substitute for a handball from Konrad Laimer.

There have been more protests shortly afterward when Vitinha struck teammate João Neves’ arm with the ball within the penalty area with a clearance.

Kompany played down the importance of the referee’s calls, though he also said more time must have been played in stoppage time.

While Bayern dominated possession, PSG was more efficient, with Doué and Kvaratskhelia keeping Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer alert after the break.

“PSG were killers with their five goals and the way they scored (last week),” Neuer said. “That’s what we would have liked today. I believe we were near the ultimate but couldn’t finish the job.”

PSG already had good memories of Munich. Town was the scene of PSG’s triumph in the ultimate last season when it demolished Inter Milan 5-0 to satisfy its Qatari owners’ quest to grow to be European champion for the primary time. A comparatively unchanged team is well-placed to deliver the second title.