Paris Saint-Germain will play Arsenal in the Champions League final after they drew 1-1 with Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena to seal a 6-5 aggregate semi-final victory.
After the astonishing first leg in Paris a week ago that saw the European champions triumph by the odd goal in nine, this was a more measured but no less fascinating affair, Ousmane Dembele’s goal in the third minute giving the visitors a two-goal advantage in the tie.
At that stage it looked like another explosive night of attacking fluidity was in store, but Bayern could not rediscover the threat that saw them reel PSG in from 5-2 to 5-4 in the Parc des Princes.
Harry Kane scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to set up a nervous finale, but Bayern had left themselves insufficient time to seriously unsettle the visitors from Paris.
Luis Enrique’s side had been the team that had looked likeliest to add to their tally and put the semi-final beyond all doubt, Manuel Neuer performing heroics to just about keep Bayern’s hopes alive until the end.
In the end, the holders needed nothing further in order to book their place alongside Mikel Arteta’s side in Budapest on 30 May.
They had opened up a two-goal lead in the tie inside three minutes of the return. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia raced into space down the left and looked up to see Dembele arriving in the box. The Georgian playmaker pulled the ball back for Dembele to race onto and hammer a finish first-time into the roof of the net.
Bayern were furious not to have been awarded a penalty midway through the half. Goalkeeper Matvei Safonov made an uncertain punch and the ball landed with Vitinha, who in attempting to clear slammed the ball against the arm of teammate Joao Neves. As it was another PSG player that had made the clearance, it was not deemed to be handball despite Neves’s arm being well away from his body.
Neves then drew a wonderful save from Manuel Neuer, who threw himself low across goal to tip away the midfielder’s header. Jonathan Tah headed wide from a free-kick in the final minute of the half, a rare Bayern chance in the first period.
At the start of the second half, Neuer saved twice in quick succession from Desire Doue and Kvaratskhelia. Doue tried again soon after with a low drive that brought the best stop yet from the Bayern goalkeeper.
The hosts came close again through Luis Diaz who was denied by Safonov but PSG were carrying the greater threat. Doue blasted an effort inches wide of the post with Neuer beaten as the European champions looked to seal it.
Kvaratskhelia brushed past Bayern’s defence and bore down on goal but badly missed his kick, with the goal and tie at his mercy. Kane finally found space inside the box to lash a finish into the roof of the net deep in stoppage time, but a famous fightback was not to be.
