PSG Warriors, Not Players: Al-Khelaifi Hails Squad After Bayern Triumph

Paris Saint-Germain secured another Champions League showpiece after a 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich completed a 6-5 aggregate win, sending Luis Enrique’s side into a second successive European final, where PSG will meet Arsenal in a repeat of last season’s dramatic race for the trophy.

Ousmane Dembele scored after only three minutes at the Allianz Arena to extend PSG’s first-leg advantage, and although Harry Kane equalised in second-half stoppage time, Bayern could not overturn the deficit, leaving PSG as the first holders to reach the Champions League final since Real Madrid in 2018.

PSG’s campaign has been defined by relentless attacking output, with the Ligue 1 champions scoring 44 goals in the 2025-26 Champions League, the second-highest total by any club in a single season, just one behind Barcelona’s 45-goal mark set in the 1999-00 edition of the competition.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia continued that attacking trend in Munich, becoming the first player to either score or assist in seven knockout matches within one Champions League campaign when Kvaratskhelia set up Dembele’s early strike, further underlining a major influence since joining PSG in February last year.

Across all Champions League games from that debut, only Harry Kane has better direct involvement, with Kane contributing to 22 goals compared with Kvaratskhelia’s 21, which are split between 13 goals and eight assists, showing how the Georgian has matched Europe’s most productive forwards in this period.

Dembele’s own numbers continued to rise, as the winger has now scored in three straight Champions League appearances for PSG for the first time since the opening two months of 2025, and has been involved in six goals, with five goals and one assist, across the last three matches.

PSG’s attacking stars also worked hard off the ball in Munich, as Desire Doue registered 24 high-intensity pressures in Bayern’s half during the first 45 minutes, while Kvaratskhelia added 16 in the same period, illustrating the organised pressing that Luis Enrique demands from the forward line.

Beyond individual contributions, the broader context is historic for French football, as PSG have become the first team from France to reach three separate European Cup or Champions League finals, having previously contested the showpiece in 2020 and 2025 before this latest progression.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi highlighted attitude rather than talent when assessing this latest achievement, stressing that Luis Enrique had relied on committed characters rather than mere technical quality, and again underlining how continental success has long been the primary target for the club’s leadership.

Al-Khelaifi spoke to Canal+ moments after the final whistle and said: "It’s magnificent. Two finals We want to go for the second star," the PSG chief said on Canal+ after his side set up a final with Arsenal. "We don’t have players, we have warriors. We have a solid team. Bayern area great team, with great players. It was a magnificent match for us. We made history here last year, we want to continue writing PSG’s history. It’s our goal to win a second time. The star is the team. Everyone wants to fight. That’s football, that’s PSG. It’s magnificent. We have the best coach in the world, the best fans."

Al-Khelaifi’s comments reflected a belief that collective work rate, from defence through attack, had matched Bayern’s quality across both legs, reinforcing the club’s view that Luis Enrique’s squad contains world-class players prepared to sacrifice for another continental title, even if those efforts risk overshadowing their technical strengths.

PSG’s official English account captured the mood within the club camp after full-time with a celebratory message confirming progress to the showpiece, underlining how the holders are again one match away from adding a second Champions League crown to the club’s growing European record.

Desire Doue played a major role in that intensity, pairing defensive effort with attacking threat, and the midfielder almost produced a standout solo goal during the second half, only to miss out on a spectacular finish that would have capped one of Doue’s strongest European displays to date.

Speaking to Canal+, Doue reflected on the occasion and said: "It was an exceptional match, another magical night in Munich against a great team," Doue said on Canal+. "These are the kinds of matches we have dreamedof playing since we were little. Now, we’re going to enjoy this as a team. We’re staying humble. There’s still work to be done in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. We can’t win all the time with extraordinary play. Wedefended very well. That’s our strength, we’re capable of attacking and defending. It’s going to be a very tough final against Arsenal, who are also a very good team."

With Arsenal awaiting in the Champions League final, PSG carry both historical momentum and detailed statistical strength into the showpiece, yet figures across the squad, from Al-Khelaifi to Doue, continue to stress collective discipline, balanced football and humility as they pursue a second European title.