PSG vs Arsenal Preview
PSG and Arsenal are deserved Champions League finalists which makes this an intriguing encounter. The Parisians have more experience on and off the pitch, Luis Enrique to guide his side to consecutive titles.
- What: 2025/26 UEFA Champions League final
- Who: Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal
- Where: Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary
- When: Saturday 30 May 2026 (18:00 CET)
HTH
PSG failed to win in their first five matches against Arsenal but corrected that in the Champions League semi-finals last season.
The Parisians won 1-0 in London where Ousmane Dembele scored in the 4th minute. Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi scored in Paris where David Raya saved Vitinha’s penalty, PSG winning 2-1 to go through.
PSG Prepped for Back to Back Titles
Paris Saint-Germain were challenged by Lens in Ligue 1 but were still too good. They won 2-0 at Lens on the penultimate matchday to claim the title, ending with a 2-1 defeat at Paris FC.
Luis Enrique spoke after the derby: “We’re champions, and we knew how difficult this match would be. I’m a bit disappointed, because I expected much more from my players and today’s performance was very poor.
“A first half with no purpose, no ambition and no rhythm. It’s difficult to win a match here; we knew how tough it would be before the game.”
The Parisians won the Champions League last season and are well placed to defend their title. They thrashed Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate and beat Liverpool 2-0 in both legs to reach the semi-finals.
PSG beat Bayern Munich 5-4 in the first leg and earned a 1-1 draw in Germany to go through. Ousmane Dembele scored in both legs to end with 18 goals for the campaign.
Arsenal Aiming to Make History
Arsenal lost the League Cup final and went out to Southampton in the FA Cup but managed to hold their nerve in the Premier League.
The Gunners won their final five matches to win the title, finishing seven points above Manchester City. They ended with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace where Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke found the net.
Mikel Arteta spoke after the victory in London: “We need to (celebrate) because we need that energy to flow and going against that, I think it will be a big mistake.
“We’ve already talked about what we have to do in Budapest, how we're going to use all the incredible energy that we're all carrying towards that final and tomorrow we're going to start to prepare for it.
“We can't wait to write for the new chapter in the history of our club and win the Champions League.”
Arteta's side scraped past Sporting CP in the Champions League quarter-finals. They repeated the feat in the semis, getting past Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate.
Arsenal have never won the Champions League, going close in 2006 when they lost 2-1 against Barcelona in the final.
Predicted Lineups & Team News
PSG (4-3-3) Matvey Safonov; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes; João Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Defenders Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes are Willian Pacho have been dealing with injuries but are expected to start.
Ousmane Dembele has declared himself fit, saying: "It has been a long season with no rest, going back to the Club World Cup, and the staff has managed that workload well. But personally, I am 100% ready to play and I'm hopeful things will go well tomorrow."
Arsenal (4-2-3-1) David Raya; Cristhian Mosquera, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Piero Hincapie; Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli; Viktor Gyokeres
Ben White has a knee injury and will miss out here. Jurrien Timber has been out since March but returned to training and is available.
Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz could start, Arteta blessed with plenty of options. Noni Madueke has recovered from a hamstring injury and could play a role off the bench.