Paris: Paris Saint-Germain weathered one attack after another and showed remarkable adaptability Wednesday to hold off and defeat an inspired Arsenal 2-1 to reach the Champions League final and have another shot at the
title they crave.
Deprived of the ball possession they usually enjoy, PSG looked shaky early on but found answers by relying on counterattacks and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to advance 3-1 on aggregate.
PSG reached the final of Europe’s elite tournament for just the second time in club history — they were runners-up five years ago — and did so in the first season following superstar Kylian Mbappé’s departure to Real Madrid.
The big hole left by Mbappé was not filled by yet another superstar. It was a major change at a club where for more than a decade owners had spent lavishly to attract big names such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi and Neymar.
The club’s new approach allowed coach Luis Enrique to build a rejuvenated, rock-solid side playing some of the best football in Europe.
“I said from the first day that our goal was to work hard enough to be in a position to make history — and that remains our goal,” Enrique said. “To be the first to win the long-awaited trophy. This is a project that has evolved since last year, and I feel very comfortable here as a coach because I have the freedom and support from the president to build what we want, adapting to the market to put together a team that improves every day.”
The French club will try again for its first Champions League title when it faces Inter Milan on May 31 in Munich.
“We believe in our coach and we believe in our players — in our talented, young, hungry players,” PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi told CBS Sports. “They fight for the team, they die for the jersey, that’s the most important, for the city, for the club.” Three-time European champions Inter defeated Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate in one of the greatest semis.