🏆 UCL: PSG overcome exits, trust youth, reach final with confidence | OneFootball

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

If someone had told you, at the beginning of the 2024/25 Champions League, that Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia, alongside jewels like Desiré Doué, Zaïre-Emery, and João Neves, would lead PSG to the final in the first season post-Mbappé, you might not have believed it.

Many people, in fact, thought that Paris would end up halfway, after being abandoned by the French star, and focus on a team with young players, some of whom were not even that well-known.

But that's not what happened! With solid work under the command of Luis Enrique, PSG overcame difficult moments and established itself as one of the most competitive teams in Europe, and is now one step away from realizing the dream – which the trio Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé couldn't achieve – of conquering the Champions League for the first time.

Difficult 1st phase, then it worked

The Champions League debuted a new format this season 2024/25, replacing the traditional group stage with a "league" phase with 36 clubs.

And PSG suffered in this new scenario, with eight qualifying matches, with the top eight advancing to the round of 16 and from 9th to 24th place, to the playoffs – where Luis Enrique & Co. ended up going.

After beating Girona in the debut, the French team accumulated a sequence of three defeats and a draw, running the risk of early elimination.

Good victories against RB Salzburg, 3-0, Manchester City, 4-2, and Stuttgart, 4-1, however, left PSG in 15th place, with 13 points and a spot in the playoffs.

Campaign in the first phase

PSG 1 x 0 Girona

Arsenal 2 x 0 PSG

PSG 1 x 1 PSV

PSG 1 x 2 Atlético de Madrid

Bayern 1 x 0 PSG

RB Salzburg 0 x 3 PSG

PSG 4 x 2 Manchester City

Stuttgart 1 x 4 PSG

Playoffs

After rediscovering their good football, PSG had a home duel against Stade Brestois, accumulating an aggregate of 10 x 0.

The team won 3 x 0 away from home and scored a 7 x 0, in front of their crowd at the Parc des Princes.

'Final' in the round of 16

Already in the round of 16, PSG faced Liverpool, who, perhaps, were playing the best football in Europe at that moment.

In Paris, the English team even won 1 x 0, but Alisson was the name of the game, with a spectacular performance.

In the return match, at Anfield, Dembélé opened the scoring at 11 minutes, and the tie in the aggregate led to a decision on penalties, with PSG emerging victorious.

Classification away from home in the quarterfinals

The opponent in the quarterfinals was Aston Villa. At home, PSG built an important advantage, 3 x 1, with goals from Doué, Kvaratskhelia, and Nuno Mendes.

In the return match, they even opened 2 x 0, with Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, but suffered a turnaround to 3 x 2, and only didn't get complicated because Donnarumma had a brilliant performance.

Bye, bye, Arsenal

Executioner of Liverpool and Aston Villa, PSG faced, in the semifinal, another Premier League club, Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta's team arrived with a lot of morale in the semi, after boasting a 5 x 1 aggregate against Real Madrid.

But the Spanish coach didn't get the better of his former club.

At the Emirates, Dembélé scored the winning goal, 1 x 0.

In the return match, with the support of the crowd, PSG won 2 x 1, with goals from Fabián Ruiz and Hakimi, and guaranteed their spot in the final.

Dembélé, from 'fiasco' to protagonist

Main name of PSG in this Champions League, Dembélé is living the best phase since he arrived at the club, in the 23/24 season – perhaps, even the best phase of his career.

After seasons marked by injuries and few goals, the now number 10 was moved to play as a "false 9".

The change made the striker score goals, including decisive ones, like the one in the French Super Cup title against Monaco.

Dembélé has already scored 25 goals in 28 games – an impressive average of 0.89 per game – this season, and arrives at the UCL final as one of the favorites to win the Ballon d'Or.

Final in Munich

The Champions League final will be played on May 31st, at 16h (Brasília time), at the Allianz Arena, in Munich.

The opponent will be Inter Milan, who eliminated Barcelona from Lamine Yamal in the semifinals.

With a young, competitive, and well-trained squad, PSG will have the chance to conquer the unprecedented title and crown a historic season of reconstruction, under the command of Luis Enrique.

So, who do you think will take the trophy home? 🏆

📸 FRANCK FIFE - AFP or licensors