The road to European supremacy culminates in one blockbuster encounter in Munich, where Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan will lock horns in the UEFA Champions League final at Allianz Arena on Saturday night.
Both PSG and Inter are in search of football immortality and have undoubtedly been the best teams in Europe’s elite competition this season.
PSG, Ligue 1 and French Cup winners, are looking to get their hands on the club’s first Champions League title to wrap up an unprecedented treble under Spanish manager Luis Enrique.
The French champions are in their second final in the competition, having suffered a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in their only other final appearance in 2019/20.
Inter, on the other hand, are three-time European champions and return to the final for the second time in three years, having fallen 1-0 to Manchester City in 2022-23.
The Nerazzurri are making their seventh appearance in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League final – winning the competition in 1964, 1965 and 2010.
The best of the best on the ultimate stage ✨
🖌️: @elfalso92
#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/0dhpFk7fdt— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 31, 2025
The two footballing powerhouses, however, enter Saturday’s final with one goal – becoming European champions – but for separate reasons.
For PSG, it provides them with a chance to win their first Champions League title, joining rivals Marseille as the only French teams to have won Europe’s elite prize. The Parisiens could also become the only French team and the ninth club to win a European treble.
Meanwhile, for Inter, it moves them a step closer to catching up with rivals AC Milan, the Italian team with the most Champions League titles (7), as well as helps them avenge their defeat to City from two years ago.
🏆 Who’s filling the 2025 slot?#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/o647mzT3ZL
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 31, 2025
Paris Saint-Germain
When PSG lost French ace Kylian Mbappe in a free transfer to Real Madrid last season, many did not expect the young squad to bounce back as quickly as they have.
Enrique has remodelled the PSG team, leading them to their 13th Ligue 1 title with six matches to spare as well as winning the French Cup with an emphatic 3-0 win over Reims.
They have, however, fallen short of winning the biggest prize in European football despite spending largely to build a squad that once had Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi, with honourable mentions to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva.
PSG’s journey to the final has not been entirely smooth, as they were faced with possible elimination from the new league format – finishing 15th with four wins, one draw and three losses and needed a playoff to reach the knockout phase.
They have so far notched 33 goals, a club record in the Champions League, and have beaten some of Europe’s top teams, including Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal, on their way to the final.
PSG, meanwhile, are the team with the fourth most games (167) without winning the European Cup/Champions League, and Enrique, who is in search of his second European treble, would be looking to help the Paris club change their fate.
Enrique could also lay his hands on his second Champions League trophy and become the sixth manager to win the title with two different clubs, joining Carlo Ancelotti, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Josef Heynckes, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.
Inter Milan
Inter’s story in the Champions League this season is a lot different from their opponent, PSG. The Italian powerhouse evidently relies on experience, boasting numerous players over the age of 30.
The Nerazzurri have not really changed since their last final appearance, with eight players from their current squad featuring in the final in 2023, compared to PSG, whose only player with Champions League final experience is captain Marquinhos.
The Serie A club cruised through the league phase with six wins, one draw and one defeat – a 1-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen. They also conceded the least goals (1) in the league phase and progressed to the knockout phase as the fourth-placed team in the new format.
Their journey in the knockout rounds saw them navigate their way through opponents from the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. They faced Feyenoord in the last 16, Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and Barcelona in an exhilarating semi-final that went to the wire and produced 13 goals across the two legs.
Inter, who have been behind for just 14 minutes in the competition this season, are in their second final in three years, the same as manager Simone Inzaghi, who will be hoping to win his first Champions League title, preventing him from becoming the ninth manager to lose two or more finals.
Inzaghi could also become the third manager to lose his first Champions League final but win his second, joining Fabio Capello and Thomas Tuchel.
🥇 Paris or Inter? #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/12jGi15QBb
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 31, 2025
Expectations
For neutral fans, the 2025 Champions League final will likely provide an avenue for another top display between two of Europe’s best.
Meanwhile, for fans of either team, this promises to be another edge-of-the-seat bout, with immense bragging rights.
Inter and PSG have shown through the course of the season that they are capable of putting on a show, and going by their respective semi-final performances, fans can rest assured of a noteworthy performance from both teams.
