The champions league final is finally set, with the two teams being Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. Both PSG and Inter have a strong history in the Champions League and are no strangers to the pressure it brings, especially Inter who played in the final in 2023 against Manchester City and lost 0-1. PSG also has history in the final, having played against Bayern Munich in 2020. So when it comes to the pressure side of the game, Inter seems to have the advantage.
PSG is looking to finally claim the champions league trophy, which is the biggest prize in club football. PSG beat the London team Arsenal 1-0 and 2-1, leaving them with a 3-1 win on aggregate. They played dynamically with incisive passes and impressive dribbles from players like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, and the rising Star Désiré Doué who is just 19 years old. All of these attacking players have been the center of attention in these past months. Along with the Club, who have been considered favorites to win the trophy since they knocked out the former #1 club, Liverpool FC, in early March.
However PSG isn’t the only team with star players and a record of knocking out big teams this season, as Inter has knocked out teams like Bayern Munich and recently Barcelona, with an impressive 7-6 victory over two legs. Inter is also not lacking any talent with 18 players from the team representing their countries in competitions like the World Cup and Euros. Most notably they have players like Lautaro Martínez who scored 22 goals this season and Marcus Thuram who has scored 18 goals in only 46 games. This is even more impressive when we consider neither of these players play in a real #9 position, making them rely on speed and dribbling more.
Regardless of the outcome, the PSG and Inter match promises to be one of the most exciting of the season, as they have two completely different styles of play. ESPN writer, Mark Ogden, gave his opinion on the match when asked, saying that “The football romantic in me says it will be PSG and their free-flowing attacking style, led by Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué, that will come out on top, but my head says that Inter will have a plan to nullify PSG and that their experience will get them over the line.”
Another interesting thing about this match is that this will be the first time these teams meet in a competitive match. A rare quirk in European football as both these teams have been playing for so long.
Whether you’re a PSG fan, Inter fan, or a bystander, this final will be one of best we’ve seen in years and it would be a mistake to miss it.