Luis Enrique sends warning to Mikel Arteta as record-breaking PSG set up Arsenal Champions League final

Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique has sent a warning to Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta before the two teams lock horns in the Champions League final at the end of this month.

The reigning European champions punched their ticket to Budapest showpiece following a 6-5 aggregate win over Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, drawing the second leg 1-1 in Germany on Wednesday.

After a nine-goal first-leg extravaganza in Paris last week, it took just three minutes for Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele to open the scoring in the second leg, before Harry Kane netted what proved to be a consolation for Bayern in second-half stoppage time.

PSG will soon become the first French club in history to contest in a third Champions League final, while they will also be the first team from any country to reach back-to-back finals since Liverpool in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

The French giants are the top scorers in this season’s competition with 44 goals and must test their mettle against the meanest defence in the final on May 30, with Arsenal having conceded only six goals in 14 games.

This year's final marks only the fourth time two managers from the same nation will faced off, with Spaniards Enrique and Arteta sharing a long history dating back to their playing days at Barcelona in the late 1990s.

PSG boss Enrique: "We believe in our football style"

Enrique has heaped praise on Arteta for his work in the Arsenal dugout, but he is confident that PSG’s attacking style will help his team prevail in the final.

Speaking to reporters after PSG’s semi-final triumph on Wednesday, Enrique said: “I appreciate Mikelito Arteta. We used to be teammates when we were kids, he did a great job at Arsenal.

“It will be a difficult, hard game, but we believe in our football style.”

On the result against Bayern and reaching the final, Enrique added: “Good memories. We could leave the match with a lot of intensity. The defence were better than the attack. The character we showed against a team like Bayern is so positive. We’re so happy to reach a second Champions League final in a row.

“It was very intense. Very difficult. They play football at the highest level. Both teams are similar, we love to press higher. We are very happy.

“In two days, I’m going to celebrate my birthday. I’m very happy. We’re in the next phase of the competition, the final of the Champions League. We want to give our supporters that kind of gift.”

Enrique viewed as “one of the best coaches in the world” by Arteta

PSG beat Arsenal in last season’s Champions League semi-finals en route to winning their first major European trophy, with a slender 1-0 away win followed by a 2-1 home victory in Paris to seal a 3-1 aggregate triumph.

Before that semi-final tie, Arteta labelled Enrique “one of the best coaches in the world”, before adding: “[He is] someone who helped me a huge amount. I have the utmost respect both for how he is as a person and his way of working.”

PSG will now focus on wrapping up yet another Ligue 1 title, with victory over Brest at the Parc des Princes on Sunday as well as second-placed Lens dropping points against Nantes enough to clinch a third successive top-flight crown under Enrique.

As for Arsenal, they will hope to win their first Premier League trophy in more than two decades before turning their attention to the Champions League final; they currently sit five points ahead of rivals Man City at the top of the table and face West Ham United on Sunday.