Thursday's front pages tell two very different stories across Europe. In Paris, the headlines celebrate Luis Enrique's men for their heroic resistance. In Munich, the mood is one of absolute outrage over the refereeing.
The Champions League semifinal ended in a 1-1 draw, sending PSG through 6-5 on aggregate. But the scoreline barely captures the drama that unfolded.
Germany's Abendzeitung leads with "Bitteres 1:1. Schiri-Wut! Bayern-Frust!"—bitter draw, referee fury, Bayern frustration. All the criticism is aimed at Portuguese official João Pinheiro. Bayern fans and media alike feel he should have sent off Nuno Mendes for a second yellow card and awarded a penalty for a handball by João Neves. Bild calls it a refereeing scandal. In their own stadium, Bayern feel they were robbed of a fair shot at glory.
Across the border, the narrative flips completely. Le Parisien leads with "HÉROÏQUES," praising the Parisians for holding out until the very last second against the Bavarian onslaught. L'Équipe goes with "PLAISIR TOTAL"—total pleasure—highlighting Ousmane Dembélé's early goal in the third minute that gave PSG the calm they needed to weather the German siege. They also note that PSG will play their second consecutive final, this time against Arsenal.
Spanish papers bow to the success of two former Barcelona coaches. Sport leads with "ANOTHER FINAL FOR LUCHO," emphasizing that Luis Enrique knocked out Bayern and will face Mikel Arteta's Arsenal in what will be the first Champions League final between two Spanish coaches. Mundo Deportivo calls it a "BLAUGRANA FINAL," nodding to both coaches' Barcelona roots. They also mention Harry Kane's 94th-minute goal, but in Paris, that was just a footnote in a night of survival and triumph.
