UEFA Champions League final / PSG - Arsenal: The Gunners ahead after the first 45 minutes

30.05.26 AP Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain

1 (4)

:

Arsenal

(3) 1

Trailing since the 6th minute, PSG are provisionally up against the wall against Arsenal. The Gunners head to the locker room with a precious lead in this Champions League final.

The first half of this 2026 Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal has just come to an end. While it may not have reached spectacular heights, this opening period certainly lived up to expectations in terms of intensity. As early as the 6th minute, the Gunners took the lead thanks to Kai Havertz, who unleashed a brilliant strike after a favorable break for his side.

After falling behind, PSG gradually took control of possession, but Luis Enrique's men came up against a perfectly organized London block and a David Raya who was rarely called into action. Despite Paris dominating the territory, clear-cut chances were scarce against a particularly disciplined Arsenal defense.

Read also: UEFA Champions League final: Havertz opens the scoring for Arsenal against PSG (Video)

Just before halftime, Havertz nearly doubled his tally. Well found in the box, the German international saw his effort blocked at the very last second by Marquinhos, sparing PSG from heading into the break two goals down. To turn things around, Paris will need to show more speed, movement, and creativity after the break to destabilize the solid structure set up by Mikel Arteta.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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