- Roles profiled
- 10
- Attack shape
- 3-2-5
- Vitinha passing
- 92%
Squad & Tactics
How a nominal 4-3-3 became a fluid 3-2-5 in possession, and why Dembélé, Vitinha and Hakimi sit at the centre of it.
Explore squad tacticsUEFA Champions League 2025–26 · Title defended
Paris, again. Back-to-back kings of Europe.
Paris Saint-Germain defended the Champions League with a knockout run for the ages — 8–2 past Chelsea, 4–0 past Liverpool, a 6–5 epic against Bayern Munich and a nerveless 4–3 shoot-out win over Arsenal after a 1–1 draw in Budapest. This is the data-led story of how they did it.
- Chelsea, aggregate
- 8–2
- Liverpool, aggregate
- 4–0
- Bayern, aggregate
- 6–5
- Arsenal, penalties
- 4–3
Five ways into the title run
Read the campaign like an analyst
Every entry combines a frosted data panel with a live tactical diagram. Follow the moving gold marker to see the role, run or pattern each section unpacks.
- KO goals
- 19
- Ties won
- 4
- Shoot-outs
- 1
Knockout Journey
An interactive timeline from the league phase to Budapest, with every tie, aggregate and turning point broken down.
Follow the journey- Kvaratskhelia goals
- 10
- Kvaratskhelia assists
- 6
- Hakimi assists
- 6
Statistical Dominance
The numbers behind the crown: goal involvement leaders, team metrics and how Paris out-created Europe's elite.
See the data- Straight titles
- 2
- First final
- 2020
- Budapest
- 2026
Club History & Vision
From the painful 2020 final to a youthful, collective project that now owns European football's standard.
Trace the project- Home KO nights
- 3
- Final city
- 1
- Final minutes
- 120
Matchday Experience
Atmosphere, travel and in-stadium tactical cues — how supporters lived the campaign from Paris to Budapest.
Live the matchdayFinal whistle · Budapest · 30 May 2026
A final decided by nerve, not noise
Arsenal arrived in Budapest as the most compact defensive side left in the competition, and for long stretches they neutralised the Paris carousel. The match finished 1–1 after 120 minutes, with neither side able to turn territorial spells into a decisive second goal.
The shoot-out rewarded the preparation that defined the entire campaign. Paris converted four of their five spot-kicks, and a single save swung the trophy back to the French capital for a second consecutive season.
Read the full final breakdownUEFA Champions League Final
Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal
Score reveals on scroll
PSG1–1ARS
After extra time · PSG win 4–3 on penalties
Three pillars of the title defence
Collective pressing
Paris hunted in coordinated waves, with Dembélé's curved runs cutting passing lanes and Neves arriving to seal the trap. Opponents were rarely allowed a calm second pass.
Wide overload, central finish
Hakimi and Mendes pushed full-backs into the front line, freeing Kvaratskhelia and Doué to attack the half-spaces where most of the decisive chances were created.
Emotional control
A 6–5 semi-final and a penalty shoot-out demanded composure. The squad's leaders — Marquinhos above all — kept the structure intact when games became chaotic.