DEMBéLé MARKS RETURN WITH GOAL AS PSG ROUT LEVERKUSEN RUTHLESSLY
PSG routs 10-man Leverkusen 7-2 in a Champions League goal-fest. Doue scores twice, with Dembele netting on his return. A dominant display from the French champions despite both teams seeing red cards in a chaotic first half.
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The winner of the Ballon d'Or, Dembele, who made his first appearance since sustaining a hamstring injury in early September, came on as a second-half replacement and scored PSG's sixth goal three minutes later.
At Leverkusen's BayArena, Desire Doue scored twice, and Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, and Vitinha all scored as the visitors put down the gauntlet to their European rivals.
Aleix Garcia scored the first goal for the home team, while Robert Andrich, the captain of Leverkusen, was sent off for slamming his elbow into Doue's jaw a few minutes earlier, and PSG's centre-back Illia Zabarnyi was sent off in the 37th minute after giving up the team's second penalty shot.
Despite their inconsistency and injury problems this season, PSG overpowered their defenceless hosts when both teams were reduced to ten men.
The rebuilt Leverkusen, who started six players who only joined the team in the summer, will be a harder opponent for PSG's attempt to go back-to-back in Europe.
The French champions displayed their attacking prowess in addition to the fortitude required to overcome difficulties stemming from their historic campaign the previous year.
The announcement that Dembele and captain Marquinhos were healthy enough to go to Germany helped PSG prepare for the match.
Both players, who were instrumental in PSG's thrilling treble the previous season, watched from the sidelines as PSG seized the lead after just seven minutes.
Pacho headed in at the far post after Mendes' cross went over the Leverkusen defence.
With twenty-five minutes remaining, Leverkusen was given a penalty for a handball by Zabarnyi, but Alejandro Grimaldo's attempt struck the post.
When Andrich's unnecessary foul on Doue reduced Leverkusen to 10 men in minute 33, it appeared that their fate was sealed. However, they were given a second chance when Zabarnyi was sent off for clumsily bringing down Christian Kofane as the final man, and Garcia scored from the penalty.
Instead of getting tighter, the French team was energised by the red card and stunned the hosts by scoring three goals in eight minutes.
To lead 4-1 and cruise into the half, Doue scored twice after a Kvaratskhelia hammer.
PSG continued where they left off with a goal from Mendes five minutes into the second half.
Garcia's long-range wonder in minute 54 was one of Leverkusen's infrequent highlights, but PSG had the final say.
A fantastic European night for the reigning champions was completed when Dembele clipped the ball in from a close angle and Vitinha added even more glitz to the final score.
ARSENAL POCKET INSANE £125.18M FOLLOWING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL QUALIFICATION
Mikel Arteta's side has added £15.97m to their cash reserves, eclipsing the total earned by current champions PSG last year.
Arsenal have added another £15.97 million to their UEFA prize money haul after securing a spot in the Champions League final with a win against Atletico Madrid. They are set to face either Bayern Munich or the current champions, Paris Saint-Germain, in Budapest on May 30, aiming for their first-ever triumph in this prestigious competition.
Beyond that, there’s an additional £5.61 million up for grabs in Hungary later this month. But up to now, Arsenal have amassed an eye-watering £125.18 million in Champions League prize money this season alone. A place in next season’s European Super Cup also carries a potential reward of around £3.45 million. It’s been a remarkable European run under Mikel Arteta, with the team dominating the group stage by winning all eight matches.
From the very beginning, the club benefited from the initial distribution of TV revenue and the rankings pool, which together amounted to £49.6 million. Even before the knockout rounds kicked off, Arsenal had already secured £85.3 million in prize money.
That total doesn’t even cover the bonuses linked to their on-field success, as each of their eight victories in the group stage brought in roughly £15.8 million altogether.
By finishing first out of 36 group-phase clubs, Arsenal earned an extra £8.6 million, and progressing straight to the round of 16 as one of the top eight teams secured them another £11.3 million.
They continued their strong run by eliminating Bayer Leverkusen after a 1-1 draw away and a 2-0 win at the Emirates, which added £10.8 million more to their earnings.
Overcoming Sporting CP in the quarter-finals also brought a £10.8 million bonus. While Arsenal’s motivation isn’t just financial, this level of income certainly aids in meeting profit and sustainability rules and other financial fair play criteria.
It’s also likely to support their summer transfer budget, as sporting director Andrea Berta looks to build on Arteta’s squad.
Last season, Arsenal took home £98.63 million after reaching the semi-finals before falling to PSG.
PSG, who went on to win the title, collected about £124.62 million last year, so Arsenal have now already surpassed that figure.
Meanwhile, UEFA has set aside a record £2.13 billion in prize money for the 2025-26 Champions League season, highlighting the competition’s growing financial stakes.
JAN OBLAK CONFESSES ATLETICO WERE "AFRAID TO PLAY" AGAINST ARSENAL
Following their Champions League exit, skipper Jan Oblak analysed where Atletico went wrong and paid tribute to Griezmann.
Jan Oblak didn’t hold back after Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Champions League against Arsenal. He said straight up that the team just didn’t do enough to earn a spot in the final. Sure, he’s proud of how far the squad has come recently, but the way they went out still stings.
Oblak was pretty open about where things went wrong, especially after the first leg, when Atletico failed to take an advantage back to London. “I'm disappointed, just like all the fans. Honestly, I can’t find the words. We didn’t do enough to be in the final, and it’s just a tough moment. We had our chances to win, but we didn’t take them. All that’s left is to congratulate Arsenal.”
He didn’t stop there, either. Speaking to CBS Golazo, Oblak was even more direct about the team’s mentality, especially in the first half of both matches. He felt Atletico were hesitant, too respectful of Arsenal, and afraid to play. Both times, they fell behind before halftime and then tried to play catch-up, but it was always a little too late. “This has happened several times this season,” Oblak said, “and while we’ve managed to win those games before, not today when it mattered most.”
On the flip side, Oblak did give some credit to the young players and the growth the team’s shown, especially after a couple of big summers that saw a huge part of the squad change. “The last two seasons, we’ve switched out something like 15 players. A lot of young guys with not much experience came in. They did great in the cup, and they’ve held up in the Champions League too. In the league, we weren’t good enough for the biggest matches, but I’m proud of how the younger ones are growing. Still, when the goal is to win a title, and you don’t, you can’t call it a success. All we can do is look forward and hope we’ll be fighting for trophies next season.”
Saying goodbye to Antoine Griezmann made this exit even sadder for Oblak and the rest of the squad. Griezmann’s heading to Orlando City this summer, bringing the curtain down on his Champions League career with Atletico. “Everyone’s going to miss Griezi; he’s an incredible player and a great guy. The kind of person who’s always smiling, always positive, and does things on the pitch nobody else can. We’ll miss him a lot; the fans will miss him, but he deserves nothing but the best wherever he goes.”
At 33, Oblak is one of Atletico’s true leaders, right behind Koke for the captain’s armband. Alongside Jose Maria Gimenez and Marcos Llorente, he’s been a
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