Both teams score in Champions League final for first time in eight years
Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal made history in Saturday’s Champions League final when both teams found the net, ending an eight-year streak of one-sided finals.
A rare moment in Europe’s biggest match
The 1-1 draw between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal at the 65th minute marked a turning point. Ousmane Dembélé’s equalizer, following a penalty won by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, broke a long-standing pattern. For eight seasons, Champions League finals had seen only one team score, leaving fans wondering when the deadlock would end.
We had to go back to 2018, when Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 3-1, to find a final where both sides scored. Before that, between 1988 and 1996, eight consecutive finals had featured at least one goal from each team — a streak that has now been matched in reverse.
The seven one-sided finals in a row
- Liverpool vs Tottenham (2019): 2-0
- Bayern Munich vs PSG (2020): 1-0
- Chelsea vs Manchester City (2021): 1-0
- Real Madrid vs Liverpool (2022): 1-0
- Manchester City vs Inter Milan (2023): 1-0
- Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund (2024): 2-0
- PSG vs Inter Milan (2025): 5-0
Each of these finals saw only one team score, a trend that made the 2026 final all the more memorable.
What this means for the future
The return to a balanced final could signal a shift in tactical trends or simply reflect the high stakes of a single match. Whether this marks the beginning of a new era or remains a one-off, one thing is certain: football fans witnessed something rare — a Champions League final where both teams left their mark.