Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard came off the bench to earn Arsenal a 2-0 Champions League win over Athletic Club in Bilbao. Mikel Arteta’s side struggled to fashion clear openings for much of the contest but, once summer signings Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze departed, Martinelli latched onto a ball over the top by Trossard in the 72nd minute to find the breakthrough goal 36 seconds after coming on.
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Both Liverpool and Manchester City will face 15-time winners Real Madrid in the league phase of the Champions League, while Tottenham and Newcastle must both play holders Paris St-Germain. The 36-team league – introduced last season – will see six Premier League teams in action for the first time, but they can not face each other until the knockout stages.
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Paris Saint Germain were crowned kings of Europe for the first time with a thumping 5-0 Champions League final victory over Inter Milan in Munich. Achraf Hakimi and Desire Doue struck inside the opening 20 minutes to reward a dominant start as PSG became only the second French side to win the trophy after Marseille in 1993. Inter were unable to get a foothold in the game as the Parisians turned on the style in the second half to record a resounding win.
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Arsenal’s European dream was ended by goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi, who earned Paris Saint-Germain a 2-1 win on the night and set up a spot in the Champions League final against Inter Milan. Bukayo Saka scored a consolation goal but it was too little too late as the Gunners were unable to conjure up a comeback to reach the showpiece.
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Inter Milan produced a dramatic late turnaround to beat FC Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate in a thrilling, all-time classic of a Champions League semi-final. Inter had raced into a two goal lead in the first half but Barcelona found themselves minutes away from their first final appearances in 10 years thanks to a second half fightback. The Catalans slipped up allowing Francesco Acerbi to snatch a late equaliser before Davide Frattesi popped up in extra time to decide the tie.
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