PSG and Inter Milan set for Champions League final showdown

News.com.au

2 days ago

Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan lock horns in Saturday's Champions League final with the French side hoping to win European club football's biggest prize for the first time and the Italians eyeing their fourth title.
The match, which kicks off at Bayern Munich's 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena at 9:00pm (1900 GMT), pits an experienced Inter against a PSG team appearing in their second final since the transformative Qatari takeover of the club in 2011.
Whoever wins will succeed Real Madrid as champions, and excitement is notably at fever pitch back in Paris.
Around 40,000 people will watch on giant screens at PSG's Parc des Princes and over 5,000 police officers will be deployed around the city in an attempt to prevent trouble.
The match will be a mouthwatering clash of opposing styles and ideas of how to build a team, a contest between one of the continent's old guard and one of the state-owned modern superclubs.
Despite enormous spending, PSG have never won the Champions League, coming closest when they reached the final in 2020.
That was during the pandemic, when they lost to Bayern behind closed doors in Lisbon, despite the presence of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar up front.
The addition of Lionel Messi in 2021 did not help them in their quest to claim the trophy, and their brilliant run to Munich has come in the season after Mbappe followed the South American duo out of the exit door.
- 'Do something historic' -
"There have been great times, difficult times, but we have a glorious opportunity to do something remarkable and historic for this club," captain Marquinhos said on Friday.
Under coach Luis Enrique, an exciting young Paris side has taken Europe by storm in recent months, with a comeback win in January against 2023 champions Manchester City the catalyst.
PSG have since knocked out three more Premier League sides -- Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal -- en route to the final, and completed a French league and cup double.
Ousmane Dembele has been their star player with 33 goals, but others like ex-Inter full-back Achraf Hakimi and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma have also been superb.
"My biggest motivation is to make history for Paris and give the city and club something to celebrate," said Luis Enrique, who is looking to win his second Champions League, 10 years after leading Barcelona to glory.
Victory for PSG would make them just the second French winners of the competition -- Marseille's 1993 triumph also came in Munich, at the old Olympic Stadium, against Inter's city rivals AC Milan.
- Italian experience -
Inter were the last Italian winners, when Jose Mourinho's side defeated Bayern in 2010. They also won it twice in successive years in the 1960s.
Coach Simone Inzaghi was already in charge when the Nerazzurri got to the final two years ago and lost to City.
As many as eight of the team that started then in Istanbul could do so again here, and an experienced line-up should feature three players aged 36 or over.
Inzaghi's side beat Bayern in the quarter-finals and Barcelona in an epic tie in the last four.
"Last time against Manchester City we produced a top-class performance but didn't win, so this time we hope to be a bit more switched on," said midfielder Nicolo Barella.
"These matches come down to fine margins, but we will try to bring home the trophy, that is the dream for all of us," added Barella, whose side just missed out to Napoli for the Serie A title.
"We have earned respect in this competition," added skipper Lautaro Martinez.
"We have worked hard to get here and now we have the chance to reach this target that Inter have been chasing for 15 years."
It is, remarkably, the first competitive encounter between the teams.
Whoever wins will walk away with over 100 million euros ($113.5m) in prize money from UEFA.
While supporters flood into the German city, back in Paris fanzones have been set up at three locations beyond PSG's stadium.
Violence erupted following PSG's last-four victory against Arsenal and one leading supporters group called for any fan celebrations on Saturday to not go overboard.
The Paris Ultras Collective (CUP) asked that "whether the outcome be an explosion of joy or a lesson learned, remain proud and behave in an exemplary way".
In Milan, meanwhile, tens of thousands will also watch the game at Inter's San Siro stadium.
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