Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan are set to clash in a highly anticipated UEFA Champions League final on Saturday in Munich, pitting PSG’s youthful flair against Inter’s seasoned experience.
PSG, still chasing their first Champions League title, enter only their second final since the club’s Qatari-backed transformation began in 2011. Their previous final appearance ended in a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich during the pandemic-hit 2020 campaign. Now, with a refreshed squad led by manager Luis Enrique, the French champions hope to finally lift Europe’s most coveted club trophy.
Gone are the high-profile attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé. In their place stands a vibrant and hungry group of young stars, including Ousmane Dembélé — who has scored 33 goals this season — along with Desire Doué, Bradley Barcola, and January recruit Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Anchoring the team are experienced figures like Achraf Hakimi and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
PSG’s route to the final has been anything but easy. After a shaky group stage, they pulled off a stunning comeback win over defending champions Manchester City in January. They followed that up by eliminating Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal — all Premier League sides — to secure their place in the final.
“We know what kind of football we want to play,” Enrique said. “Now we just need to go out and do it to our full potential. We want to be the first ones in Paris to win the Champions League and make history.”
Victory on Saturday would make PSG just the second French club to win the tournament after Marseille’s 1993 triumph, which also took place in Munich.
Inter Milan, however, are no strangers to this stage. The Nerazzurri are aiming for their fourth European crown, having previously won in 1964, 1965, and 2010. Under Simone Inzaghi, they reached the final two years ago but fell short against Manchester City. This time, they arrive battle-hardened, having knocked out Bayern Munich and Barcelona en route to the final.
Inzaghi’s side boasts continuity and experience — potentially fielding as many as eight players from their 2023 final loss. Veterans like Francesco Acerbi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, both 36, bring leadership to Inter’s compact 3-5-2 formation.
“To really make history we have to win on Saturday,” Inzaghi said. “We’re facing a super team, just like Barcelona and Bayern. But we have the same goal — to win the Champions League.”
While PSG rely on pace and attacking dynamism, Inter’s strength lies in tactical discipline and resilience. Saturday’s showdown at the Allianz Arena promises a thrilling clash of ideologies — modern ambition versus traditional strength — with the European crown at stake.
