The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League has been quite a rollercoaster ride, but one can hardly dispute the fact that we have the two most deserving teams in the final this year.
Both Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan have been nearly impeccable, having shown character and resilience in crucial moments to overcome adversity and come out the other side with aplomb.
With the final set to take place at the Allianz Arena in Munich, here are our preview and predictions for the game.
Paris Saint-Germain FC vs FC Internazionale Milano
PSG have been the most in-form team in the tournament since the turn of the year. However, they were dealt a huge scare at Villa Park, as their complacency nearly cost them the tie. In the semi-finals, though, Luis Enrique’s men produced a very mature and composed performance against Arsenal, despite being under immense pressure across both legs.
With the league and the Coupe de France already wrapped up, PSG are on course for the much-revered treble this season. Unlike previous seasons, where the focus was always on one or two superstars, the current PSG team are the polar opposite. The likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, João Neves, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, and Fabián Ruiz have all played their part this season.
However, it’s their forward line that has terrorised defenders across Europe. Bradley Barcola, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Désiré Doué, and Gonçalo Ramos have done their job up front, but no one has come close to the might of Ousmane Dembélé this season. The Frenchman currently has 44 goals and assists combined in 46 appearances across all competitions and is one of the leading candidates for the Ballon d’Or this year.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan, on the other hand, have gone off the boil of late. Once vying for a historic treble of their own, the ageing Nerazzurri are now on the brink of going trophyless. They dropped out of the Coppa Italia in the semi-finals after losing to neighbours and fierce rivals AC Milan and lost the Serie A title to Napoli after leading the title race for the most part. In many people’s eyes, they’re now the underdogs against the rampant PSG coming into the final.
However, it would be foolish to count Inter out of this contest even before a ball is kicked. After all, in the semi-finals, Inzaghi and his men delivered a perfect play-by-play masterclass on how to deal with high-octane attacking football by eliminating Barcelona over two legs, displaying some elite counter-attacking football and scoring seven goals. Moreover, despite conceding six across those two legs, Inter keeper Yann Sommer was one of the best players on the pitch.
Looking ahead to this encounter, it’s likely to be a repeat of the script from the Inter–Barça semi-final tie, where two contrasting philosophies collided. For Inter—as Aston Villa and Arsenal showed—there will be plenty of chances to hurt this PSG side. However, the real question is whether Inter will be able to maintain their ridiculously high conversion rate in front of goal.
Les Parisiens have more than enough firepower to hurt Inter. Things could further tilt in their favour as time wears on. With their younger squad and depth on the bench, the longer PSG can drag out this fixture, the better their chances will be of breaking down this ageing Inter defence.
I’m backing Luis Enrique & Co to complete their historic treble this season, though it’s to be kept in mind that this Champions League campaign has hardly gone to script.
Prediction: PSG win 3-2 after extra time
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