Champions League final sees both teams score, ending eight-year drought

The dramatic 1-1 draw between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in the Champions League final on Saturday marked a historic moment in European football. For the first time in eight years, both teams managed to find the back of the net during the final match of the continent’s premier club competition.

Ousmane Dembélé’s crucial equalizer in the 65th minute, following a penalty won by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, shattered a streak that had seen seven consecutive finals where at least one team failed to score. This rare occurrence had not been witnessed since the 2018 final, where Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 3-1.

Unprecedented scoring pattern ends

Before Saturday’s match, the last time both finalists scored was in the 2018 final. The seven finals that followed saw a pattern of one-sided victories, with only one team managing to score in each match. This streak included notable encounters such as Bayern Munich’s 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in 2020 and Manchester City’s 1-0 win against Inter Milan in 2023.

The previous extended period without both teams scoring occurred between 1988 and 1996, when eight consecutive finals saw at least one team fail to find the net. This historical context makes Saturday’s outcome even more remarkable.

Key moments from recent finals

• 2019: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham
• 2020: Bayern Munich 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain
• 2021: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester City
• 2022: Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool
• 2023: Manchester City 1-0 Inter Milan
• 2024: Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund
• 2025: Paris Saint-Germain 5-0 Inter Milan

These statistics highlight the rarity of Saturday’s outcome, where both teams managed to score in a Champions League final, putting an end to an eight-year sequence without such a result.