05/06/26 05:37:00
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05/06 17:36 CDT Paris Saint-Germain returns to Champions League final as
Dembl goal stifles Bayern Munich
Paris Saint-Germain returns to Champions League final as Dembl goal stifles
Bayern Munich
MUNICH (AP) --- Ousmane Dembl scored early and Paris Saint-Germain eliminated
Bayern Munich with a 1-1 draw to reach the Champions League final again on
Wednesday.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia raced clear after playing a simple one-two with Fabin
Ruiz in midfield, then picked out the unmarked Dembl to sweep the ball in
under the crossbar in the third minute of the semifinal second leg.
By the time Harry Kane equalized in stoppage time it was too late to keep alive
Bayern's dream of a Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League treble.
The draw gave PSG, the defending champion, a 6-5 win on aggregate after edging
their encounter 5-4 in the first leg in Paris last week.
The French league leader will face Arsenal in the final in Budapest, Hungary,
on May 30, after the Gunners defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Tuesday to
progress 2-1 on aggregate.
"It's magnificent, two finals," PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. "Now we
will go there and try to fetch a second star. I said to the players we are
warriors."
PSG's defense --- breached four times in Paris last week --- kept Bayern's much
vaunted attack of Kane, Luis Daz and Micheal Olise largely in check.
"We know how to suffer and we're ready for what we have to face," PSG
midfielder Joao Neves said. "We're very proud of how far we've come."
By the time Kane let fly for his 55th goal across all competitions including
the German Supercup for Bayern this season, PSG's substitutes were already
lining up to celebrate.
The England captain's goal ensured Bayern has scored in every competitive match
this season. Bayern coach Vincent Kompany struck an optimistic tone despite the
disappointment.
"We made progress this season," Kompany said. "We have to do it again."
Real Madrid was the last team to achieve back-to-back titles --- winning three
in a row from 2016-18.
"Shoot us into the final," the Bayern fans had urged their team with a huge
choreography as the combatants emerged on the field.
Bayern only needed one goal to level the tie, but it soon turned to two after
Fabin sent Kvaratskhelia on his way.
If the Georgia star was surprised by how much space he was offered by the
absent defense, he didn't stop to question it. Desir Dou was another option
queuing beside Dembl to take a shot with Luis Daz the closest Bayern player
back.
Bayern's players complained the already-booked Nuno Mendes should have been
booked again when the ball hit his arm in the first half, but referee Joao
Pinheiro blew instead for a handball from Konrad Laimer.
There were more protests shortly afterward when Vitinha struck teammate Joao
Neves' arm with the ball in the penalty area with a clearance.
Kompany played down the importance of the referee's calls, though he also said
more time should have been played in stoppage time.
While Bayern dominated possession, PSG was more efficient, with Dou and
Kvaratskhelia keeping Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer alert after the break.
"PSG were killers with their five goals and how they scored (last week)," Neuer
said. "That's what we needed today. I think we were close to the final but
couldn't finish the job."
PSG already had good memories of Munich. The city was the scene of PSG's
triumph in the final last season when it demolished Inter Milan 5-0 to fulfill
its Qatari owners' quest to become European champion for the first time. A
relatively unchanged team is well-placed to deliver the second title.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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