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We have breaking news into CBS Sports HQ where Paris St. Germaine has repeated as the winner of the UEFA Champions League. PSG pulled out the victory 4 to3 in penalties with Arsenal's Gabrielle missing in dramatic fashion to close out the game. Now with the win, Paris St. Germaine becomes the first club to win consecutive UCL titles since Real Madrid's 3P from 2016 to 2018. For much more on the dramatic finish, let's go ahead and bring in CBS Sports Soccer analyst Adam Hunt. Adam, thanks so much for joining us. Let's just start
with just how exciting this match was from start to finish. Arsenal getting the early lead PSG's response followed by, of course, the nerve-wracking extra time and then eventually PK's. Jordan, what an amazing game it was. It was almost like a match of chess here between these two teams. as Arsenal came out strong tactically. They played defensive as how we expected them to do. They got the early goal six minutes in. Kai Havtz scoring for the second time in the Champions League final. Remember he scored for Chelsea a few years ago in this match and then he managed to score for Arsenal. They got off to the perfect
start. They were tight. They were defensive and they were frustrating PSG and everyone thought that maybe the Gunners were going to be able to hold on and win the trophy that has eluded them so far in European football. They've won the Premier League. They've won everything else, but they haven't managed to get over the line and win the Champions League. They were last in the final 20 years ago back in 2006, losing to Barcelona. But there was a sting in the tail for PSG. They managed to come back into the game in the second half. It was Usuzman Dembele who won a penalty in the 64th minute. He scored that penalty and it stayed that way right the way to the end of the 90 minutes all the
way through half an hour of extra time. As I said, it was like a game of chess. No one really being able to find an edge. We went to penalties. It was a good quality penalty shootout. A lot of good penalties taken, but ultimately, as you said, Gabrielle missing that late penalty, sending it the wrong way, and it means that PSG have defended their title from last season. Hugely frustrating for Arsenal, but you have to tip your hats to PSG. They were able to deal with the pressure when it counted. Unfortunately, someone had to miss. It was heartbreaking to watch, that's for sure. You know, let's dive deeper in into the match in particular. just how was PSG able to overcome Arsenal's tight
defensive style that you kind of alluded to after the Gunners opened the scoring so early in this one? I think patience was the key word, Jordan. They knew that eventually they were going to get an opportunity. They've got so many great attacking players PSG arguably the strongest squad in world football and this wasn't going the way that it did last season. Remember they won the Champions League final very comfortably last season against Inter Milan. They were easily the better side. scored lots of goals and completely overwhelmed their Italian opposition. This was a different game.
They were not getting it all their own way. Arsenal were leading early on in the game and they knew that they had to be patient. But I think and that's the skill of Luis Enrique as we see the players here celebrating with the famous Champions League trophy. Luis Enrique got it right. He knew that he needed his players to be patient, wait for their opportunity. Whether it would be a penalty eventually that's how it came through as Mand Dembele or a mistake from an Arsenal defender. They knew that they would get their chance to get back into the game. Ultimately, it came in the 64th minute. Um, and I think that patience word is the key one for PSG and we have to tip their hats off to that.
Most definitely. I'm watching this celebration out of the corner of my eye. In your opinion, who was the man of the match for you in this one? Well, it's hard to say. I don't necessarily think that either team played particularly well. Um I was as we said Arsenal started the game much better but neither team were able to grow into the game particularly and they didn't play um to the top of their level. It was quite hot in Budapest for the final. So we saw how fatigue came into the game late on um they were struggling with cramp. I would say the man of the match for me um who would I go for? I'm going to go for David Ryder,
the Arsenal goalkeeper. Um he did manage to save one of the penalties. He's been brilliant for them all season. And some people were saying that um maybe they should have he should have won the player of the season award in the Premier League. Ultimately then went to Bruno Fernandez um and he had a wonderful game and I think it was a game that was won in terms of defensive strength as opposed to attacking prowess. Just an epic finish. But how does this Champions League title cap off a historic run for PSG? Back-to-back champions now uh league titles since Real Madrid's 3P. Well, it certainly puts them up there with some of the greatest teams we've seen all time in
terms of the Champions League. You mentioned it in your lead in how little it happens that a team manages to go back to back. You have to go all the way back 10 years to Real Madrid who last did it, winning back-to-back titles. It just doesn't happen often. It doesn't matter if you've got a brilliant team, a brilliant roster, great manager. It is so difficult to win the Champions League one season after the next. So, um this is an amazing achievement from them. They dealt with the pressure. Ultimately, they didn't play particularly well, as I said, but they got the job done and they won the trophy. And I think when you look at the team, this isn't an old team. Their average age is in the 20s. None of
these players look like they're going to be leaving. They're going to be a similar core of the team for next season. They've got so many exciting players that come off the bench. We saw that from Bradley Barcola. So, I don't think you'd you'd put it past them winning the hattrick and being able to do it three times in a row. We see Luis Enrique right there on your screen lifting the trophy who now has three Champions League titles, joining just a legendary group with multiple titles. What does this mean now for his legacy in particular? Well, a I think as you would say for the team as a whole, they're now pushing themselves into one of the greatest teams of all time in terms of European football. You'd have
to say he's one of the greatest managers of all time in terms of European football. And we have to look at the road that he's taken to get here because PSG have spent a load of money and I mean a load of money on trying to win the Champions League. They signed the Stars. They signed Neymar. They signed Messi. They signed Beckham. They signed Kian Mbappe. But those stars weren't able to get it done for them. They got close, but they weren't able to get over the line and finally lift this trophy. Lewis Enrique came in as the head coach and said, "I'm not making it about the stars. I'm not making the same mistakes as previous managers. I'm going to make it about the team. I'm gonna build a
balanced 11 with great players, albeit, but a team that is about the unity of the squad rather than just um bigname individuals, and I'm going to make sure the dressing room is happy. And it's worked. Um and credit to him. I think he he saw that was a mistake that had been made previously and that he needed to change it. And if they wanted to get over the line and win the Champions League, it needed to be about the team. So, it's it's a brilliant achievement from Lewis Enrique. We'll leave it there. Adam Hunt joining us live here on CBS Sports HQ. uh as Paris St. Germaine has repeated as the winner of the UEFA Champions League, the first club to win consecutive UCL finals since Real Madrid won three straight. You can get much more of
coverage of the Champions League title over on the Galasso Network.
