PSG-Inter Milan: Désiré Doué, the unexpected hero for Paris
All around the pitch at Munich's Allianz Arena, the Paris Saint-Germain players ran with abandon, collapsing into the arms of their teammates. Tearful groups of Parisians formed here and there at the final whistle. Désiré Doué, however, stood apart. For long moments, the young forward remained on his knees near the penalty box, his face buried in his hands. Stunned, he almost forgot to celebrate Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) spectacular victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday, May 31, with a 5-0 score.
Voted player of the match, the 19-year-old prodigy seemed to struggle to grasp the scale of his achievement. Everyone expected Ousmane Dembélé to shine, but it was Doué who, for an hour before being replaced by Bradley Barcola in the 66 th minute, revealed himself to those who didn't yet know his name. And to think that Manager Luis Enrique had hesitated, just hours before kickoff, over whether to start him on the bench for this crucial match...
From a clear shooting position, he cleverly turned the opportunity into an assist for Achraf Hakimi in the 12 th minute, sparking PSG's momentum in the final. He then scored twice himself (20 th, 63 rd), setting the stage for the rout of the Nerazzurri. Three days before his 20 th birthday, he became the first player to be involved in three goals in a Champions League final since the competition was renamed in 1992.
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