Victory belongs to those with courage.

In a Champions League final, when both teams can showcase their best qualities, when their performances are arguably evenly matched, victory will go to the team with more character. Paris Saint-Germain is that team.

Paris Saint-Germain were crowned champions of the 2025-2026 Champions League after defeating Arsenal in the final.

If you only look at the match statistics and ignore the score and the actual events on the field, it's easy to mistakenly think this was a one-sided match in favor of coach Luis Enrique's team. Paris Saint-Germain controlled 75% of the ball possession, had 21 shots with 4 on target, compared to Arsenal's 7 shots with 1 on target, and their expected goals were 1.77 compared to Arsenal's 0.44.

But in reality, the score was only 1-1, and the match went to a penalty shootout to decide the winner. Both Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain executed their tactics very well, showcasing their best abilities. For Mikel Arteta's team, it was a pragmatic style of play that prioritized solidity and efficiency, while Luis Enrique's team obviously opted for a possession-based, high-pressure style of play that was suffocating.

Mikel Arteta's team did very well, but unfortunately they still lacked the mental fortitude to defeat Paris Saint-Germain.

It's clear that Mikel Arteta prepared very thoroughly for this match, bringing out the best in the Gunners this season. So what has Arsenal done best this season? It's their solid play, a strong defense, and sharp counter-attacks that have allowed them to play a very effective, pragmatic counter-attacking game.

It wasn't difficult to predict that Arsenal would play defensively, deliberately ceding possession to Paris Saint-Germain, choosing the right moment to accelerate their attack in order to gain an advantage. And indeed, Mikel Arteta's team played just that, taking the lead after an early attacking onslaught, then deliberately retreating to defend. Even when they conceded an equalizer and went to a penalty shootout to decide the winner, this was one of the options Mikel Arteta would have considered, as going toe-to-toe with Paris Saint-Germain at this point would have been suicidal.

Luis Enrique and Paris Saint-Germain will continue to conquer new heights in the future.

And what does Paris Saint-Germain have to offer? They will remain faithful to their ball-possession style of play, proactively pressing to expose weaknesses in their opponents, they will still be a team with a beautiful attacking style, and they will still possess the character of a reigning Champions League champion. Coach Luis Enrique's team is showing the world that when they need to attack, they can attack fiercely, they can break through any defensive system, but when they need composure, they still know how to play solidly and effectively, and can deliver cool, accurate shots from the penalty spot.

Clearly, this wasn't just a battle of tactics, player skill, and coaching ability; the Champions League final was also a test of the mental fortitude of the players on both sides. Arsenal showed great composure after taking the lead and taking the game to a penalty shootout as planned. However, Paris Saint-Germain demonstrated even greater composure by calmly breaking through the Gunners' defense to equalize and ultimately win on penalties.

Match specifications.

It's not that Arsenal played poorly, but unfortunately, Paris Saint-Germain fully deserved to be champions, fully deserved to be the dominant club in Europe after successfully defending their Champions League title. Once the stars can play with discipline and teamwork under the guidance of a talented coach like Luis Enrique, Paris Saint-Germain can absolutely maintain their strength for a long time to come. And the goal of winning the Champions League three times in a row is certainly not an unrealistic goal for them.

CAO DUY

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/the-thao/the-thao-quoc-te/202605/chien-thang-danh-cho-ban-linh-239441c/