Saturday, 31 May 2025
Saturday, 31 May 2025
A club once mocked for collapsing in big moments and belonging to the ‘farmer’s league’ is now on the brink of European football's ultimate glory.
Paris Saint-Germain, transformed under the guidance of Luis Enrique, will take on Inter Milan in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final at the Munich Football Arena in what promises to be a clash of contrasting footballing philosophies.
For PSG, this final represents more than just a shot at silverware.
It is a chance to bury the ghosts of their 2020 heartbreak and cap off a historic campaign with a maiden Champions League title.
Having already won Ligue 1 and the French Cup, the French giants are now one match away from completing a treble — a feat only achieved by a few elite clubs in football history.
Luis Enrique, who previously lifted the treble with Barcelona in 2015, could become only the second manager after Pep Guardiola to complete the treble twice.
“We began preparing for this when we started pre-season training,” Enrique said to reporters on Monday.
“It was in the minds of everyone at the club from then. It is a game we have marked in the calendar. We are coming into it in very good shape, full of confidence and we are determined to go down in the history of the club.”
For Inter Milan, this is a chance to reclaim past glory and exorcise the ghost of Istanbul.
The Italian giants were runners-up to Manchester City in the 2023 final and now have a shot at their fourth European crown and second in the Champions League era, following their 2010 triumph under Jose Mourinho.
Simone Inzaghi’s side have proven their mettle throughout the competition, dispatching pre-season favourites Bayern Munich and Barcelona in thrilling fashion.
Their semi-final victory over Barcelona was particularly significant, as the Nerazzurri matched a young, high-pressing side despite fielding an ageing lineup.
The average age of Inter’s preferred starting XI stands just above 30, with key players like goalkeeper Yann Sommer (36), defender Francesco Acerbi (37), and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (36) playing pivotal roles.
In contrast, PSG's average starting XI age is around 24.
The squad has been rejuvenated by the signings of exciting young talents such as Willian Pacho, Joao Neves, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue.
Ousmane Dembele, long considered a talented but inconsistent winger, has flourished under Enrique, scoring 33 goals across all competitions this season.
Though he has netted only once in his last nine appearances, his clinical strike against Arsenal in the semi-final first leg was instrumental in PSG’s progression.
Bradley Barcola also impressed in the French Cup final on May 24, scoring twice in a 3-0 win over Reims at Stade de France. Achraf Hakimi added a third before half-time, helping PSG to a national record-extending 16th Cup title and their sixth domestic double.
That win extended Enrique’s remarkable record in finals: ten one-off finals, ten victories.
Inter’s hopes of glory lie with the experienced core that has battled fiercely all season, playing 59 matches across competitions.
“The boys have been brilliant this season because we’ve played 59 matches and we’ve given everything on the pitch,” said Inzaghi on Monday. “The club and above all the players all know that we are missing that final step to make history.”
Despite falling short in the Serie A title race, Inter have scored 114 goals in all competitions this season, setting a new club record.
Lautaro Martínez, with nine goals in this season’s Champions League, equalled Hernán Crespo’s club record from 2002/03.
“We have a lot of players who played in the final two years ago and that experience is important for us as a team,” said Sommer.
Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, have shed the baggage of their old identity.
Gone are the days of banking solely on superstar names like Neymar, Messi and Mbappe who left the club in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
With an average age well below their Italian counterparts, the Parisian side now relies on energy, youth and a collective ethos.
“We have the players to win the Champions League this year, next year or in eight years. We have the base on which to build a great team for the future,” club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told German media recently. “The new star at Paris Saint-Germain is the team and I am really proud of the way in which we have transformed the philosophy of the club in such a short space of time.”
Yet, the final could hinge on two key figures — Lautaro Martínez and Ousmane Dembélé — both prolific scorers this season.
Martínez, Inter’s all-time top scorer in the Champions League and European Cup, scored in the epic 4-3 win over Barcelona. Dembélé, who was recently voted Ligue 1 player of the season, has 25 goals in 28 appearances for PSG in 2025.
Between the posts, both Gianluigi Donnarumma and Yann Sommer have shown outstanding form.
Donnarumma’s saves against Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka were vital, while Sommer’s fingertip heroics against Lamine Yamal kept Barcelona at bay. With the spotlight on strikers, it may well be a goalkeeper who ends up being the match-winner — just as Bayern’s Oliver Kahn was in the 2001 final.
This will be Inter’s first European final against a French team. Alessandro Bastoni, named Serie A defender of the season on May 24, will lead a defence tasked with stopping PSG’s electric forward line.
For Paris Saint-Germain, this final marks the culmination of a 15-year project that began with the Qatari takeover in 2011. Over two billion euros have been spent on transfers, transforming the club from domestic hopefuls into global contenders. With annual revenues surpassing 800 million euros, PSG now rank as the third-richest club in the world.
Now, all that remains is the final step. On Saturday in Munich, youth will battle experience, ambition will meet legacy and PSG’s young blood will aim to etch their name in football history.
