“PSG proved we are the best” - João Neves reacts to reaching successive Champions League finals | OneFootball

Neves helped PSG reach another CL final [Getty Images]

Bayern Munich 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain (5-6 on aggregate) 

Portugal midfielder João Neves says Paris Saint-Germain proved they are the best team in Europe after overcoming Bayern Munich to reach their second Champions League final in a row.

PSG will defend their crown against Arsenal in Budapest later this month, after following up their stunning 5-4 win over Bayern from the first leg at the Parc des Princes with a controlled performance in Germany, which saw them lead 1-0 for most of the evening.

Neves, who scored in the opening meeting between the sides, was joined in the reigning European champions’ line-up by countrymen Nuno Mendes and Vitinha, while Gonçalo Ramos was an unused substitute. Ousmane Dembélé scored after just three minutes, putting PSG 6-4 up on aggregate, with the lead intact for most of the evening before Harry Kane’s injury-time consolation.

"We are very happy with what we have done so far,” Neves said after the final whistle. “I congratulate Bayern Munich. They are a great team. After us, the best in Europe and the world, in my opinion.

“We have managed to prove at home and away that we are the best team. We managed to attack, defend, suffer and breathe with and without the ball. That's what a great team does.

"It was a very difficult game, I'm tired and having trouble speaking, but I'm very happy with what we did not only in this game, but throughout the Champions League."

Arsenal one of the great teams

For Neves, a second Champions League final since moving to PSG from Benfica in the summer of 2024. The 21-year-old already has a remarkable trophy cabinet, including league titles in both Portugal and France, a Nations League with the Seleção and several other cups, including the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

"That's true,” he said when reminded of his achievements at such a young age. “As I said last year, I arrived here with a very clear vision of what the club was and what they expected from me and the team.

“We are achieving our goals. The objective has always been to fight until the end, and this is the best way to reach these moments. Two consecutive years in the final, and whether we win or lose, we are already very happy.

“We are going to face one of the great teams in the world, Arsenal, and we are prepared. Our staff does a good job of studying the game, and we trust them, and they trust us.

“The final is a game, and it's always difficult. Football is sometimes fair or unfair. We can play better or worse and win or lose. We still have the league to win, which is also a very clear point for us.

“I think (the Champions League final) will come down to the details. It's not 100 percent certain, but usually the best team wins, the one that best executes the details.”