More

History awaits in Champions League final as Inter and PSG prepare for battle

The UEFA Champions League trophy is displayed at the UEFA Champions Festival in the Olympic Park in Munich, Germany, 29 May 2025.
The UEFA Champions League trophy is displayed at the UEFA Champions Festival in the Olympic Park in Munich, Germany, 29 May 2025.ANNA SZILAGYI / EPA / Profimedia
The football world will come to a standstill on Saturday night as Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale battle it out in the Champions League final.

PSG are in the end-of-season showpiece for just the second time, having lost in the 2019/20 final against Bayern Munich, whose ground coincidentally holds this season's final.

Inter, meanwhile, are in their second final in three years - having lost last time out to Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Manchester City side - and seventh appearance overall.

The Nerazzurri have won the European Cup/Champions League on three previous occasions (1964, 1965 and 2010), whilst PSG are still looking for their maiden UCL title.

Were Luis Enrique's side to triumph on Saturday, they would carry on a quite unique story in the competition.

The 2025 final is the fifth to be held in Munich. On the four previous occasions, the winners won the trophy for the first time; Nottingham Forest in 1979, Marseille in 1993, Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Chelsea in 2012.

Marseille's victory is, in fact, the only occasion to date that a French side have won the Champions League, and that also came against a team that plays at San Siro (AC Milan).

French clubs notoriously bad in major finals

If PSG were looking for omens that 1993 victory would certainly be one; however, French clubs have actually only won two of the 15 major finals that they've competed in.

Not only that, but the team from the Parc des Princes have currently played the fourth most games (167) without winning the European Cup/Champions League since its inception in 1955.

It's clear that, like Barcelona in the semi-final, Luis Enrique will want his side to attack Inter at every opportunity but the Parisiens should be wary of the fact that the Italians have been behind for just 1.2% of all of their matches in the competition this season. 

A list of Champions League winners
A list of Champions League winnersEfnan Ipsir / ANADOLU / Anadolu via AFP / Profimedia

The one area which could impact Inter as the game goes on is with regards to the age of their players. They've handed 43.3% of minutes to players over 30 years of age in this season's competition whereas PSG, by contrast, have only given Marquinhos (as a 30+ player) UCL minutes in 2024/25.

​Simone Inzaghi won't want to become the ninth manager to lose two or more Champions League finals, and if he can mastermind a victory, he will become just the third manager - after Fabio Capello and Thomas Tuchel - to have lost their first UCL final but won their second.

Luis Enrique hoping to win UCL for the second time

Luis Enrique famously completed Barcelona's second treble back in 2015 when a team that included Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar beat Juventus 3-1 in Berlin. That game was also notable for being Xavi Hernandez's final match as a player. 

Should PSG be victorious in Bavaria, then Luis Enrique joins a select band of managers - Carlo Ancelotti, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Josef Heynckes, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola - who have won the trophy with two different teams.

Vitinha's touches in the box for PSG against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final
Vitinha's touches in the box for PSG against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finalOpta by Stats Perform

​PSG's Vitinha is certainly going to have something to say in the game too given that he's completed the most passes overall in the tournament (1,222) - only Xavi has recorded more in a single edition (1,299 in 2012/13 and 1,244 in 2010/11). The Portuguese has also completed the most passes under high-intensity pressure in 24/25 (665).

He's unlikely to be the headline grabber, however, with both sides having that one player who routinely writes the headlines for them.

Dembele reborn at PSG, Lautaro ready to make history at Inter

Ousmane Dembele is a man reborn at PSG, and is finally showing the talent that he promised but largely failed to deliver at Barcelona. 35 chances created is the most by a French player in the competition since Jerome Rothen in 2003/04, and his 12 UCL goal involvements (eight goals, four assists) is the most in one season by any PSG player. Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored more (10 in 2013/14).

Ousmane Dembele's recent stats
Ousmane Dembele's recent statsFlashscore

At the opposite end of the pitch, Lautaro Martinez needs just one more goal to become the first Inter player to score 10 in a major European competition. The Nerazzurri's captain and driving force could also become just the sixth player in the competition's history to score in the Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final if he manages to get on the score sheet.

Defensive Inter know how to beat free-flowing opponents

Inter have already shown that they know how to beat teams that like to play on the front foot throughout the 90 minutes. Their semi-finals against Barcelona, for example, evidenced just that, and those two games were amongst the most exciting that the competition has ever seen.

Lest we forget that in the 2023 final against Man City too, they were only just overcome by a moment of brilliance from Rodri and had kept their swashbuckling opponents at bay for the most part.

Playing a more defensive game therefore can't be seen to be negative as Inzaghi is just setting his team up to play to its strengths.

Inter vs Barcelona, Champions League semi-final second leg match stats
Inter vs Barcelona, Champions League semi-final second leg match statsOpta by Stats Perform

Whilst it might not be as pleasing on the eye as PSG, there are other ways of winning titles than by playing beautiful football.

However things pan out, Saturday night's match is sure to be another intoxicating encounter and don't be surprised if it goes all the way to the lottery of a penalty shootout.

Jason Pettigrove
Jason PettigroveFlashscore

Chances are you’re about to lose.

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au