Luis Enrique, the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) gives tactics to his players during the UEFA Champions League second leg semi-final match between PSG and Arsenal at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France on May 7, 2025. Mustafa Yalcin / Anadolu (Photo by MUSTAFA YALCIN / ANADOLU / Anadolu via AFP)
PSG head coach Luis Enrique says his side earned their place in the UEFA Champions League final after a 3-1 aggregate win over Arsenal, despite early setbacks in the competition.
PSG Are Deserving Champions League Finalists, Says Luis Enrique
By Mulembe Times Sports Desk | May 8, 2025
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) head coach Luis Enrique has declared his team worthy finalists of the UEFA Champions League, following their hard-fought semi-final triumph over English side Arsenal. The French champions secured a 2-1 win in the second leg at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night, sealing a 3-1 aggregate victory and booking their spot in the final set to take place in Munich on May 31.
“Over the two legs, we scored more goals than them — and in football, that’s the most important thing,” said Luis Enrique in his post-match press conference. “Arsenal played a great game and we suffered a lot, but we deserve to be in the final.”
Goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi, scored either side of halftime, gave PSG a commanding lead in the second leg before Bukayo Saka pulled one back for the visitors. PSG’s Vitinha had a penalty saved, but the hosts held on, thanks in part to several crucial saves by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Despite PSG’s win, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta controversially claimed that his team had been the better side over both legs. However, Enrique brushed off the comments, instead highlighting the resilience his players have shown throughout the tournament.
“This was the match in which we suffered the most in the Champions League this season, but we are where we deserve to be,” Enrique added.
PSG’s road to the final has been anything but smooth. After a rocky start in the league phase, where they lost three of their first five matches — including a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal — they were in danger of early elimination. PSG finished 15th out of 36 teams in the group standings, a full eight points behind the top-ranked side, Liverpool.
Reflecting on that difficult period, Enrique said, “Throughout the competition, it is clear that results are what count. But in the league phase, we deserved at least nine more points. The difficult fixtures early on helped us improve and grow.”
“The statistics showed we were one of the best-performing teams in Europe. Once we started becoming more clinical in front of goal, we showed what we’re capable of. In a knockout format, that can be the difference.”
This is only the second time in the club’s history that PSG has reached the Champions League final. The last time was in 2020, when they narrowly lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in Lisbon. Last season, PSG were eliminated in the semi-finals by Borussia Dortmund in Enrique’s debut year as head coach.
“There’s no logic in football,” Enrique noted. “But from the first day I arrived, I said the goal was to work towards making history. And that’s what we’re doing — to be the first PSG team to win this long-coveted trophy.”
Enrique, a former FC Barcelona coach and Spain national team boss, turns 55 on Thursday, and reaching the final will surely serve as a fitting birthday present. PSG will face Italian giants Inter Milan in the final in what promises to be a thrilling showdown between two European powerhouses.
For now, PSG fans can dare to dream again as their team stands just one match away from lifting the most prestigious trophy in European club football
