PSG player ratings: Doue and Dembele stake Ballon d'Or claims with all-conquering Champions League final displays

The Irish Sun

2 days ago

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN blitzed Inter Milan to win their first ever Champions League crown.
Luis Enrique's side
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Paris Saint-Germain lift the Champions League trophy for the first time
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Brilliant wonderkid
Sensational starlet Doue grabbed his second shortly after the hour mark, before
On a historic night in Munich, here's how SunSport's Dan King rated each victorious PSG star.
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Gianluigi Donnarumma - 6
A spectator for most of the first half. Whenever Inter had a glimmer of an opening, his defenders shut it down or watched their opponents
fail
to capitalise.
He did not have a save of any kind to make in the first 45 minutes.
Pawed unconvincingly at a couple of crosses after the break but still did not make a save until the 75th minute when he got down well to deny Thuram.
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Gianluigo Donnarumma was largely a spectator
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Achraf Hakimi - 8
Put Inter on the back foot from the start by playing high to wipe out the Italians' apparent superiority in midfield numbers.
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So it was typical that he was the one waiting when his team-mates picked apart the Inter defence for the first time.
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Occasionally his ambition threatened to leave his team open, but it never proved fatal.
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Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring for PSG
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Champions League travel chaos erupts as fans block train and throw rocks and tear gas is deployed on board
Marquinhos - 7
The only member of the PSG defence to look a little vulnerable at times in the first half, but even then only for a short while after
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Otherwise formed a solid partnership with Pacho that allowed the full-backs, especially Hakimi to push on.
Read the game well to make interceptions.
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PSG stalwart Marquinhos finally got his hands on the Champions League trophy
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Willian Pacho - 9
Let Thuram and Lautaro Martinez know who was boss right from the start. Used his strength and physicality to win balls in the air and to shut doors that were threatening to open.
And it was his determination not to let the ball go out for a corner that led to his team's second goal.
Made some important interventions as Inter improved (a bit) and kept his concentration and commitment going until the end.
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Willian Pacho won all of his personal duels
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Nuno Mendes - 7
Laid down a marker early on by winning a 50/50 ball against Thuram that the Inter
striker
just didn't want as much.
Less ambitious going forward than Hakimi, tucking in to create a back three or a midfield overload.
Says a lot that Inter's player of the competition
anonymous
.
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Nuno Mendes has been brilliant all season for PSG
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Joao Neves - 8
Worked just as hard as his midfield partners, but on the less glamorous side of the game, without the ball.
Used his intelligence to judge when to press and when to block the passing channels as Inter struggled to find any sort of rhythm.
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The Inter trio Mkhitaryan, Barella and Calhanoglu will be sick of the sight of him
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Joao Neves was immense in midfield all day
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Vitinha - 9
Set the tone of the game even before the absolute peach of a pass that found Doue in the box to tee up the opening goal.
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The little maestro conducted the game, pulling the strings and creating the shapes that stopped Inter's midfield making any impression.
Made important challenge in his own box early in the second half then found Doue perfectly for the third.
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Vitinha has cemented his place as one of world's best midfielders
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Fabian Ruiz - 8
Spain's Euros-winning midfielder was perpetual motion, popping up all over the pitch and offering his team-mates option after option.
One moment he was a centre forward, the
next
a No10, then a midfield pivot, then he dropped into centre back to start the play again.
Not as energetic and influential in the second half but still a commanding presence who kept Inter in their box.
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Fabian Ruiz was a commanding presence in the middle
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Desire Doue - 9
Kylian who? Liveliest of the PSG front three from the get go, making a nuisance of himself down the right Yet he suddenly popped up at inside left to receive Vitinha's pass and tee up Hakimi.
But he found space again on the right to make it 2-0 after Dembele's pass.
Humiliated Bastoni in build-up to another Hakimi chance before taking his second goal superbly to kill the game. A career-defining display - at 19.
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Desire Doue has the world at is feet aged just 19
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Ousmane Dembele - 9
Started slowly, but gradually became a key figure. Like Ruiz, he was turning up in unexpected places, even appearing at right back on one occasion to retrieve the ball.
Worried Inter with his pace and was equally speed in thought to sweep the ball across to Doue for the second goal.
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Should have made it three when Doue returned the compliment, but his backheel led to Doue's second and his pass to KK's strike.
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Ousmane Dembele has put himself into Ballon d'Or contention
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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - 8
Did not quite live up to the Messi and Maradona comparisons on this particular occasion, but still did his bit, sometimes simply by terrifying Inter with what he might do.
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Outjumped by Thuram for a rare Inter first-half chance, then failed to hit the
target
with his own header and a couple of chances in the second half.
Finally got his goal to make it four but won't mind being outshone by the other two musketeers.
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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia bagged PSG's fourth goal on the night
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SUBS
Bradley Barcola (for Doue, 67) - 7
Was always going to be hard to follow Doue's display.
But missed a really good chance from the corner of the six-yard box, then dumped Acerbi on his backside with a brilliant bit of skill only to shoot into the side netting.
Dragged another shot well wide before fine pass teed up fellow sub Mayulu.
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Bradley Barcola missed a brilliant chance to score
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Lucas Hernandez (for Mendes, 78) - 6
Did not have much to do, apart from thanking Kvaratskhelia for an incredible bit of tracking back.
Goncalo Ramos (for Kvaratskhelia, 84) - 6
The
Senny Mayulu (for Ruiz, 84) - 7
Wonderful finish to make it five and he celebrated properly with virtually every member of the PSG travelling party.
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Senny Mayulu netted PSG's fifth goal late on
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Warren Zaire-Emery (for Neves, 84) - 6
Can at least say he was on the pitch for one of the five goals
Subs not used:
Matvei Safonov, Presnel Kimpemble, Lee Kang-in, Lucas Beraldo, Ibrahim Mbaye, Arnau Tenas
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