Last Stop Budapest

Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain share a destination. Almost nothing else about how they reached it is the same. One side finished top of 36 teams and never conceded a lead. The other finished 15th, came back from two down in the playoff, and survived a nine-goal semi-final.

Kwabena Osei

May 8, 2026 · 2 min read

Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain share a destination — the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30 — but almost nothing else about how they reached it. One side has not conceded a lead across fourteen European games this season. The other finished 15th in the league phase as defending champions, came from two goals down in the knockout playoff against Monaco, and then survived a nine-goal semi-final 6-5 on aggregate.

This piece covers both semi-finals in full: Arsenal's controlled dismantling of Atlético Madrid, PSG's scenic route from the playoff through to the nine-goal spectacle against Bayern Munich, and what both campaigns say about what might happen in Budapest on May 30.

How they got here

Arsenal UCL record

Across all 14 games · never conceded a lead

W10 D4 L0

Arsenal clean sheets

Most of any club this season

PSG league phase finish

Defending champions · dropped into the playoff round

15th / 36

PSG aggregate vs Bayern

Nine goals across two legs · semi-final record

6–5

Read the full article →

Full match analysis, data visualizations, and player breakdowns — Arsenal's campaign, PSG's scenic route, Kvaratskhelia's season, and what Budapest means for both clubs.

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