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New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Champions League final odds: Achraf Hakimi over 1.5 shots or Inter Milan over 4.5 corners?
For more stories like this, click here to follow The Athletic's sports betting section and have them added to your feed. Just two more sleeps until Munich takes centre stage for this year's Champions League final. Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale will likely not get too many winks in that time frame, but rest or no rest, there should be plenty of action and entertainment on the cards. Our writers have shared their favourite bets, and outline below why you should seriously consider acting on their reasoning. Advertisement Brett Koremenos: Despite the big-name attackers involved in this match, I'm still sticking to the notion that defenders could be the primary scoring threats in this Sunday's final. The main suspect? Achraf Hakimi. Hakimi's goalscoring reputation somewhat exceeds his actual production, which is why I'm not wading into the anytime goalscorer market. Instead, by betting on his shot total, I can bank on the Moroccan's crucial impact in possession. After all, only one player — Ousmane Dembélé — touches the ball more than Hakimi in the final third for PSG, and the French forward is the betting favourite to win the Ballon d'Or. The marauding Moroccan defender also has more penalty area touches (3.67 per 90 minutes) and shots (1.75 per 90) than Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha and João Neves — the three players that comprise Les Parisiens starting midfield. Offering plus odds on a shot total below Hakimi's season average implies that the bookmakers are over-crediting Inter's stingy defence. However, what's challenging for models to pick up is that Inter are something of a football chameleon. When faced with weaker opposition in Serie A, the Nerazzurri ramp up the aggression. For example, against a Bologna team that finished ninth in late April, Inter allowed just 6.2 passes per defensive action (PPDA). Yet, while clinging to a one-goal lead heading into the second leg of their quarter-final matchup versus Bayern Munich just a few days earlier, that number shot up to 17.9. This season, Simone Inzaghi's side has a PPDA mark of 10.59 per Understat, making them the fourth-most aggressive pressing side in Serie A. But Inter's history when playing high-calibre opponents suggests they'll adopt a more passive approach. The two teams PSG have played thus far in the Champions League who resemble the tactical approach we should expect to see from Inter in this final are Atlético Madrid and Aston Villa. Each of those clubs are far more relaxed when it comes to pressing, ranking in the bottom half of their respective leagues in PPDA. Advertisement In the group stage matchup against Diego Simeone's side, Hakimi fired off five shots, leading the team in that category. Against the Villans, PSG's right back took five more across the two quarter-final legs. If you need proof that Hakimi can rack up high shot totals against teams with similar pressing metrics to Inter's overall season mark, look no further than a September league stage match against Girona. In that game, Hakimi squeezed off six shots in a 1-0 victory, and helped his team toward a 10.81 PPDA mark. Moral of the story? Don't let the star power of the attackers sway you; this final could very well turn into a defender's duel after all. Sam Tighe: I'm going to pick up and run with something Brett said earlier this week, as from the moment I read it, the cogs in my brain started turning: Inter's advantage over PSG in set-piece situations is just overwhelming on paper, isn't it? To recap the remarkable statistics at play: Inter were by far the most threatening team from set-piece situations in Serie A this season, scoring 17 (the next-highest total was Udinese's 12). Meanwhile, PSG conceded the joint-second-most in Ligue 1 from these scenarios (11), a whopping 31.4 per cent of their total tally. Clever managers find ways to use their team's strength against their opponent's weakness, and this one will jump right off the page at Inzaghi — so much so, I think Inter will actually play to win corners and free-kicks. Because why wouldn't you? As the pre-match handshakes occur, you'll no doubt notice that Inter tower over PSG. Thanks to three big, burly centre-backs, a hulking right-wing-back in Denzel Dumfries, and a target man striker in Marcus Thuram, the Nerazzurri carry a significant height advantage over their opponents. Spare a thought for Les Parisiens' centre-backs Marquinhos and Willian Pacho as they try to organise their troops and nullify this. Ruiz and Hakimi will try to help, but it's still a mismatch. Inter's outswinging corners — a bit of a rarity in modern football, given the general obsession with inswinging deliveries right onto the goalkeeper's head — could prove an X-factor too, as the bear-like figure of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma won't be able to pluck them out of the air. Whether Inter can truly take advantage of this remains in the lap of the gods. The delivery has to be right, the routine executed perfectly and Donnarumma must be beaten. Villa got the first two bits right in the quarter-final but were thwarted at Step 3; Arsenal got parts one and three down in the semi-final but eventually saw a Mikel Merino headed goal ruled out for offside. Advertisement But we're not necessarily betting on Inter to succeed; we're just betting that they'll see this as their best opportunity to score — and try to win as many corners (and free-kicks) as possible to put this mismatch to work. Betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Achraf Hakimi: David Ramos / Getty Images)
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jack Wilshere Drops Controversial Take After Arsenal Fall to PSG in Champions League
Paris Saint-Germain are through to the UEFA Champions League final after beating Arsenal 2-1 on Wednesday night at Parc des Princes, sealing a 3-1 aggregate win. Arsenal came in needing goals to stay in the tie, but it was PSG who struck first. Fabián Ruiz calmly slotted one home in the 27th minute to put the hosts in control. Advertisement PSG carried that lead into halftime and nearly doubled it from the penalty spot after a handball in the box, but David Raya guessed right to deny Vitinha and keep Arsenal's hopes alive. The pressure didn't let up, though. Achraf Hakimi smashed in a second to send the crowd into a frenzy. Bukayo Saka pulled one back for Arsenal late on, but it wasn't enough to keep PSG from booking their spot in the final. Jack Wilshere believes Arsenal was better than PSGAfter PSG knocked out another Premier League side by taking down Arsenal, former Gunners midfielder and TNT Sports pundit Jack Wilshere didn't hold back. He argued that Arsenal deserved more from the tie, saying they were the better team despite the result. 'We didn't do that much wrong, probably had the better of the game in most moments,' Wilshere said (h/t BBC). 'They have quality to hurt you in transitions so it is a hard one to take. But you look at the history of clubs who do get to the final and a lot of them do fail beforehand.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘I don't agree at all' – Luis Enrique disputes Mikel Arteta's claim Arsenal were better team
Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal 2-1 (3-1 on aggregate) at the Parc des Princes last night to secure passage to their second-ever UEFA Champions League final. Despite the scoreline, Arsenal performed well on French soil and looked the more dominant side until Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a deflected strike from distance. A goal from Achraf Hakimi in the second half gave PSG some extra breathing room, even with Arsenal finding a goal through Bukayo Saka. Advertisement For Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta, there was no question that his side had been the better team across the two legs. And he told TNT Sports as much in his post-match interview, 'The assessment, I will make it when I am a little bit cooler, but the feedback that I got straight away from their bench is that we were much better than them.' He continued, 'There has not been a better team in the competition so far that I have seen, but we are out. We will say much more, but this competition is about the boxes and in the boxes are the strikers and the goalkeepers and [Gianluigi Donnarumma] was the best player in both games.' However, Luis Enrique has refuted Arteta's claim that they were the better team in this tie. The PSG head coach said in his post-match comments, 'I don't agree at all. Mikel Arteta is a great friend, but I don't agree at all. I think they played in a clever way… and they got the match to the right moment for them because they played the way they want and the way they love to play. But I think in the two legs we scored more goals than them, and in football it's the most important thing.' PSG will play Internazionale on the 31st of May in Munich. GFFN | Nick Hartland
Ya Biladi
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
Achraf Hakimi scores the winning goal, PSG reaches the Champions League final
Paris Saint-Germain has taken a major step toward securing a spot in the Champions League final. After Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring in the first half, Achraf Hakimi doubled the lead in this second-leg semi-final against Arsenal. When Vitinha missed a penalty with twenty minutes left on the clock, the Parisians could have stumbled. However, Luis Enrique's men kept their composure, quickly regaining momentum and asserting their dominance. The decisive moment came through high pressing: following a back pass from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the left, Hakimi pounced to dispossess Thomas Partey. After a perfectly executed one-two with Ousmane Dembélé, the Moroccan full-back slotted the ball past David Raya with a precise shot just inside the post (2–0, 72nd minute). With under twenty minutes remaining, Paris had pulled away. Arsenal, now needing three goals, saw their hopes fade. PSG, meanwhile, edged closer to a final showdown with Inter Milan, set to take place in Munich on May 31. Achraf Hakimi expressed his joy after PSG qualified for the second Champions League final in the club's history. Speaking about their future opponent, the Moroccan said: «Inter is a club that remains in my heart. I had some very good times there. But now I am focused on Paris. We have a chance to make history, and I will do everything to go all the way».
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Luis Enrique Offers Honest Thoughts on Barcelona Missing Champions League Final
Paris Saint-Germain are headed to the UEFA Champions League final after a 2-1 win over Arsenal on Wednesday night at Parc des Princes, clinching a 3-1 victory on aggregate. Chasing goals to stay alive in the tie, Arsenal were instead put on the back foot when Fabián Ruiz coolly finished in the 27th minute to give PSG the lead. Advertisement The hosts took that edge into halftime and nearly added another from the spot after a handball in the box, but David Raya came up big to deny Vitinha and keep Arsenal in it. PSG didn't let up, and Achraf Hakimi eventually blasted in a second to ignite the home crowd. Bukayo Saka pulled one back to give Arsenal a glimmer of hope, but it wasn't enough to stop the French champions from punching their ticket to the final. Luis Enrique talks about the missed chance to face BarcelonaAfter the match, manager Luis Enrique was asked about the final, where PSG will face Inter Milan, and the missed chance of facing Barcelona for a second straight year, but this time in Munich with a trophy on the line. Advertisement 'I also think Barça played well; they scored six goals,' Enrique told El Larguero. 'If someone tells you you're going to score six goals in a semifinal and still get eliminated, you wouldn't believe it. 'I think Barça showed with their style the kind of football that's played in Barcelona, and throughout history I think they've always been known for that — we've been known for that — and in that sense, I clearly think they could have been in the final and deserved that ending. 'The result, honestly, was a bit strange [from Tuesday]. But if I'm being honest, for me, playing a Champions League final against Barça would've been the worst.' PSG have two more Ligue 1 matches to wrap up the season. Then, they have the Coupe de France final against Stade de Reims, and meet Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
