Paris Saint Germain (PSG) will meet Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday night in what promises to be an explosive duel at the Munich Football Arena.
This will be the first Champions League meeting between these clubs and only the second final between teams from France and Italy after the 1992/93 decider, when Marseille defeated Milan 1-0 – that match was also played in Munich, at the Olympiastadion.
PSG are aiming to go one better than in 2020, when they lost to Bayern München in Lisbon. Three-time winners Inter last lifted the trophy in 2010 and have taken part in one decider under Simone Inzaghi, going down to Manchester City in the 2023 showpiece.
PSG had a turbulent journey in the inaugural league phase. After a shaky start, they rallied to win their final three group games and clinch 15th place. A 10-0 knockout phase play-off win over domestic rivals Brest ignited their campaign. From there, Luis Enrique’s team overturned a home defeat to eliminate league phase winners Liverpool on penalties, then dispatched Aston Villa (5-4 on aggregate) and Arsenal (3-1 aggregate) – the latter a measure of revenge for a league phase loss.
Inter, by contrast, were among the most consistent sides in the league phase, finishing fourth with just one defeat – a 1-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen, the only goal they conceded. In the knockout phase, Simone Inzaghi’s men eased past Feyenoord, edged Bayern 4-3 overall in a tight tie, then outlasted Barcelona in a nail-biting semi-final thriller that ended 7-6 on aggregate.
PSG are the third French team to reach the final of the European Cup/Champions League more than once after Reims (1955/56, 1958/59) and Marseille (1990/91, 1992/93). They have won nine of their last 11 Champions League matches (L2) and have scored the first goal in seven of their last nine games in the competition.
This will be Inter’s seventh European Cup/Champions League final and have won 10 games in this edition – their best total in a single season in UEFA competition. The Nerazzurri have lost only one of their 14 Champions League matches this term and are unbeaten in the last eight (W6 D2).
