Champions League Final: PSG vs Inter – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena forms the backdrop for the most heavily anticipated fixture in the European schedule as Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan go head-to-head in the Champions League final. The pinnacle of the continent’s club football falls on Saturday night, with Munich hosting the showpiece event for the first time since 2012.

It’s a potentially landmark occasion for PSG. Despite their unparalleled dominance in Ligue 1 since the Qatari funds entered the club 15 years ago, Les Parisiens have yet to conquer their final peak. Indeed, this is their chance to lift the most coveted European title for the first time in club history.

PSG slumped to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Lisbon final in 2020 under Thomas Tuchel. Luis Enrique hopes to go on better than his predecessor after ousting Arsenal in the semi-final. The perennial French champions won both legs via single-goal margins to enter the title-deciding fixture for only the second time.

Meanwhile, Inter will be out to make amends for a heartbreaking domestic season. Simone Inzaghi’s charges lost an intense Serie A title race to Napoli while failing to hoist accolades in the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, as AC Milan got the better of them in both competitions.

It’s been 15 years since the Nerazzurri last ascended the continental throne. Jose Mourinho inspired the San Siro outfit to an unprecedented treble in 2010. However, Inter contested a Champions League final as recently as 2023, though Manchester City squeezed past the 20-time Italian champions in the Istanbul showpiece.

Match Preview

Paris Saint-Germain

No strangers to facing Italian opposition, PSG shared the stage with Inter’s bitter rivals Milan in last season’s Champions League group phase. After a comfortable 3-0 home win, they slumped to a 2-1 defeat at San Siro, halting an impressive ten-match unbeaten streak against Serie A clubs (W4, D6).

Furthermore, they had won four consecutive clashes against Italian opponents beforehand. However, consistency has been an issue for the Parc des Princes giants. They’ve only won half of their last 48 European fixtures (W24, D8, L16), including nine of the most recent 11 (L2), suggesting they should take the field in a buoyant mood.

A 3-0 rout of Reims in last weekend’s Coupe de France final maintained a feel-good factor around Enrique’s camp, handing PSG an opportunity to claim a historic treble. Yet, they must defy an Allianz Arena hoodoo to achieve that feat, having lost three of their four previous visits to this venue (W1), though each game was against Bayern Munich.

Inter Milan

Inter’s overall record in European finals isn’t overly convincing (W8, L6), especially considering they’ve lost their last two title-deciding matches in a UEFA competition. On the bright side, Inter trounced PSG’s domestic rivals Monaco 3-0 in this season’s league phase, posting only their fourth win in their last 13 encounters against French clubs (D5, L4).

Defensive resilience could be key to Inter’s potential success in the final. Inzaghi’s side finished the league phase as the competition’s best defensive team, having conceded just once in eight matches. However, they’ve been fragile in the knockouts, most recently conceding six across two legs in their epic semi-final tie against Barcelona.

A 4-3 second-leg win at Giuseppe Meazza marked Inter’s tenth Champions League victory this season. That’s the club’s best-ever tally in a single campaign. Moreover, they head into proceedings on an eight-game unbeaten run at Europe’s top table (W6, D2), while further confidence comes from a futile 2-0 win at Como last time out.

Team News

Except for long-term absentee Presnel Kimpembe, PSG boss Luis Enrique will have the remainder of his squad fit for the final. Ex-Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is back after missing the Coupe de France final due to migraine and should reclaim his place in attack alongside Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue.

On the other hand, Inter will land in Munich at full strength after Lautaro Martinez, Benjamin Pavard, and Piotr Zielinski returned from injuries. Therefore, El Toro should partner up with Marcus Thuram in the final third, though the French defender may start on the bench, with Yann Bisseck favored by Inzaghi.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Inter Milan Potential Starting Line-ups

Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.

Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Inter Milan Prediction

Both teams come into this mouth-watering contest eager to write their names down in history. Despite PSG’s formidable domestic form and an impressive European run in the second half of the season, this is Inter’s final to lose.

It would be surprising to see penalties determine the winner, yet we back the Nerazzurri to climb to the podium.