Luis Enrique’s PSG will square up against Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday night at the iconic Allianz Arena in Munich.
While PSG have been pushing very hard to win the UEFA Champions League over the last decade, they have not been able to taste glory so far; the Ligue 1 giants will be looking for their first-ever title when they square up against Inter Milan, who are seasoned campaigners having won it three times. Simone Inzaghi’s men will be eyeing their fourth title on Saturday night in Munich.
PSG did not really have the best of league phases as they could only secure a 15th-placed finish, having won just four out of their eight games. Having lost to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in the first phase, not many expected Luis Enrique’s team to come this far in the competition.
They squared up against Brest in the knockout-phase play-off and smashed them 10-0 on aggregate to advance to the round of 16, where they got the better of eventual Premier League winners Liverpool on penalties. The French giants then went on to win against two other English clubs (Aston Villa and Arsenal) to set up this final against Inter Milan.
PSG played in the 2020 UEFA Champions League final against Bayer Munich. While they could not get the job done back then, Les Parisiens certainly look like a well-drilled unit under Enrique and certainly have a realistic chance of winning their first-ever title.
Not only are the Ligue 1 champions competing for their first-ever Champions League title, but they will also be fighting to become the first-ever French side to win the treble, having secured the league title and the Coupe de France.
While Inter Milan were also fighting for a treble just a month back, the season has fallen apart towards the final weeks. They ended up gifting the league title to Napoli and failed to make it to the final of Coppa Italia. Inzaghi will be hoping his team does not go trophyless, having played some incredible football for most part of the season.
They finished fourth in the league phase with six wins in their eight outings to book a place straight in the round of 16, where they squared up against Feyenoord. The Nerazzurri secured a rather easy 4-1 win on aggregate over the Dutch outfit before getting the better of Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Inter went up against Hansi Flick’s Barcelona in the semi-finals, a tie not many expected them to win. The first leg ended 3-3 before San Siro played host to an incredible second leg, where the Blaugrana were in the driving seat for most parts.
The Catalan giants were within touching distance of making it to the final before Francesco Acerbi struck late in injury time to send the tie into extra time. Davide Frattesi scored in extra time to make it 4-3 on the night and 7-3 on aggregate. Despite all their attempts, Barcelona could not bounce back and Inter made it to yet another final.
While Inter Miilan have been on a roll in the Champions League this season, they do not really have the best of records in the final having lost their last final back in 2023 to Manchester City. Inter have lost three Champions League finals, and all three of those have come against teams who ended up winning the treble which will certainly give PSG fans a lot of hope.
It might not be the final that some neutrals would have hoped for, but it is certainly one of the most fascinating ones in recent years as there isn’t really much between the two teams. Neither one of them will be heading into this fixture as favourites. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
PSG
Luis Enrique has no fresh injury concerns to deal with heading into this final. He will have a fully-fit squad to choose from apart from Presnel Kimpembe, who has hardly played all season long and is struggling with a leg injury.
The Ligue 1 champions will stick with the 4-3-3 formation, where Gianluigi Donnarumma will be in goal for them. Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes will be the full-backs, while Marquinhos will partner with Willian Pachoin the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Joao Neves will start alongside Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball.
Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will feature on the flanks for PSG, while Ousmane Dembele should lead the line for PSG against Inter Milan. All three of them are in red-hot form, and Enrique will certainly be hoping they deliver in the final.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
Inter Milan
Simone Inzaghi will have a fully-fit squad to choose from in this final. While he was sweating over the availability of Benjamin Pavard and Piotr Zielinski, the duo has resumed training and should be a part of the squad.
Lautaro Martínez, who played the semi-final second leg despite being injured, has not taken the field since. Inzaghi has been very careful with his skipper, and he is expected to be close to 100% for this all-important fixture.
Inzaghi will stick to his 3-5-2 formation, where Yann Sommer will feature in goal. In the heart of the defence, Yann Aurel Bisseck will partner with Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni. Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco will be the wing-backs for the Italian giants.
Meanwhile, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Nicolo Barella will feature in the centre of the park. The trio will try to ensure PSG midfielders do not get to dictate the pace of the game. Barella will be the key for Inter will his composure and his vision. Meanwhile, Martinez should return to the starting XI to partner with Marcus Thuram in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Key Stats
- The two teams have faced each other on a total of five occasions and PSG have won three of those fixtures while Inter have only won once.
- This is only the second time a French club will face an Italian outfit in the UEFA Champions League final. The previous game took place in 1993 between Marseille and AC Milan.
- Inter are all set to feature in their 7th Champions League final, they have won the title three times but have suffered as many defeats.
- All three of the Champions League finals that Inter have lost have come against a team that went on to win the treble and PSG are on course to become the first French team to win the treble if they beat Inter.
- PSG last reached in UEFA Champions League final in 2020 where they lost to Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, Inter played in the 2023 final where they suffered defeat at the hands of Manchester City.
Player to Watch
Ousmane Dembele
Dembele has had an exceptional season this time around, and he is amongst the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or. If the Frenchman manages to help his team lift the title, he will certainly take a massive step towards winning the biggest individual award in world football.
While he did not have the best of time at Barcelona as he was often out injured, the move to PSG has brought the best out of him. Moving back to his homeland has helped the 28-year-old get back to his best.
In the 2024/25 season, Dembele has scored 33 goals and bagged another 13 assists in his 48 outings. In his 12 UEFA Champions League outings, he has eight goals and four assists. Given the kind of form he has been in, the French international will be the biggest threat to Inter Milan on Saturday night.
Dembele averages a goal every 97th minute this season. Having contributed towards a goal in each of their last five knockout fixtures, the 28-year-old Frenchman is certainly the one to watch out for.
Prediction
PSG 3-2 Inter Milan
The final between PSG and Inter Milan has all the ingredients to be a classic. Two top-quality sides, a stacked midfield battle, explosive forwards on both ends and a title that means the world to both managers. PSG might just have the slight edge given their attacking firepower and the fact that several of their key players, especially Ousmane Dembele, are in red-hot form heading into this showdown.
Inter will certainly not make life easy for the French side. They have shown time and again how disciplined and resilient they are when it comes to the big stage. But PSG have more variety in their attack, and with the pace and flair they possess on the flanks, they could stretch Inter’s backline just enough to make the difference.
Expect goals, expect drama and do not be surprised if this one goes right down to the wire. But if Luis Enrique’s side can replicate their performances from earlier knockout rounds, they might finally end their long wait for European glory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-2 win for Enrique and his charges in this all-important final.
