Three Things to Watch for That Will Decide the Champions League Final
On Saturday, at 3:00 p.m. EST, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan will compete in the 2025 Champions League final in Munich. PSG has perennially dominated domestic competitions but is seeking a first-ever UCL trophy and can complete the treble after securing the French Cup on Saturday. Inter are trying to win their fourth Champions League after losing the Serie A by one point and losing to AC Milan in the Coppa Italia Semifinals. The fixture represents a clash in styles. PSG boasts arguably the most potent & unpredictable attack in Europe, while Inter under Simone Inzaghi is known for their excellent defensive structure. Paris is hoping to put the coveted cherry on top of their magnificent campaign, Inter wants to add to its illustrious trophy room. Here are three things to watch that could be pivotal in Saturday’s final.
The Fullback Play
PSG’s two fullbacks, Nuno Mendes & Archaf Hakimi, are at the top of their respective positions. Both players are integral parts of Luis Enrique’s attack as they have the second and tied for third most Champions League goals this year, respectively. If PSG controls possession, both fullbacks will join the attack in the final third. Mendes and Hakimi can invert and overlap to create space and mismatches for the wingers. Their quality in attack can create headaches for Inter’s back three; it’s as if you have to defend five wingers. That said, Inter can counterattack brilliantly, and if Paris’ fullbacks get caught too high up the pitch, they leave Marquinhos and Willian Pacho in a tough position, contending with Inter’s two strikers. Hakimi and Mendes can change the game in PSG’s attack, but will have to tread lightly against Inter’s potent attack.
On the flipside, a lot of eyes will be on Inter’s Federico Dimarco as Ingazhi’s left-back did not defend Lamine Yamal well in the Semifinals. Enrique could rotate between his three wingers to attack Dimarco’s side of the pitch as well as Hakimi's. PSG’s revolving front three presents a headache to any defender, and especially to DiMarco come Saturday. Inter could decide to try and hide Dimarco, but this leaves more pressure on Alessandro Bastoni on the left side of the defense. Dimarco was subbed out of both legs against Barca, though if he holds his ground and stays in the match, look for him to be a key part of Inter’s attack as he has 12 goal contributions this year.
Inter on Set Pieces
One of Inter Milan’s biggest advantages going into Saturday is their physicality. They’re one of the taller teams in Europe, and their height presents an issue for PSG, who don’t play with a natural striker or a tall midfielder. Their holding midfielder, Vitinha, is five-foot-eight, and their starting center-backs average a height of six-foot-one, three inches less than Inter’s Marcus Thuram. Inter’s height advantage could be advantageous in set pieces. Two of Inter’s goals vs Barca came via set pieces as the Catalans faced a similar disadvantage in height. Roughly seven percent of the goals PSG conceded this year have come from set pieces, but they’ve yet to face a team like Inter, which has scored about 15% of the Champions League goals from dead-ball situations. For comparison, Liverpool’s mark in that same statistic is close to 11%, while Arsenal and Aston Villa’s figures are lower. Additionally, for as good of a shot-stopper as Gianluigi Donnarumma is, his biggest weakness is handling balls off his line. Inter may have less firepower in the attack, but they have a tall advantage in set pieces.
PSG vs Yann Sommer
Yann Sommer was excellent in the second leg of Inter’s last Champions League draw, saving seven shots and winning man of the match. Inter are hoping for a similar performance from the keeper on Saturday. For PSG, finishing could be where the game is decided. In their eight knockout games, they’ve underperformed their XG five times. That said, their front three has been excellent in front of the goal this year, but Yann Sommer presents a different challenge. Sommer is probably the second or third-best keeper PSG has faced, Alisson Becker being number one. In both matches against Liverpool, PSG underperformed their XG partly due to Alisson, but they were also prone to errant chances. PSG will likely be on the attack for most of the match, something both they and Sommer are used to. Their attack is heralded for their dribbling and ball progression, but they’ll have to be equally prolific with their finishing to lift the trophy on Saturday.
