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Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves reckons PSG will win the upcoming Champions League final against Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena in Munich on May 31.
The French champions beat Arsenal 2-1 at home in the semi-final second leg on Wednesday (May 8), building on their 1-0 away win at the Emirates a week earlier, to book a final date with Inter.
The Nerazzurri overcame Barcelona in a Champions League classic. After a 3-3 first-leg draw at the Olimpic Lluis Companys, where they had frittered away a two-goal advantage, the same script played out at the San Siro. However, Barca turned the game on its head and led 3-2 on the night only for Inter to grab a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser before scoring the winner in extra time.
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A day later, there was no such drama at the Parc des Princes, though, as a clinical Parisians side led 3-0 on aggregate before Bukayo Saka netted a consolation for the Gunners. With Luis Enrique's side having sealed the Ligue 1 title, Hargreaves reckons they will clinch the Champions League, too.
"I think PSG, but I would say the team with less possession often wins these games, and that will be Inter Milan," the Englishman told TNT Sports (via Metro). "But I will go PSG. I think it’s their time. PSG will dominate and Inter will hit them on the counter like they did against Barcelona. Both teams are ready for it, that’s for sure.
"I can’t think of a team that has transformed themselves more than PSG. They got rid of the galacticos, and now they are a proper team. They have gone to young, French players. The fans identify with these players. They are a proper team and deserve to be in the final."
It's worth noting that the Parisians couldn't get past the Round of 16 in two seasons with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe up front.
How did Inter Milan and PSG fare in their last Champions League final?
Both PSG and Inter Milan won't have happy memories of their last trip to a UEFA Champions League final. The Parisians reached the title match for the first time in the 2019-20 COVID-19-plagued season but lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, Inter reached their latest Champions League final in 2023 but went down by a solitary goal to Manchester City, who won their first continental treble. However, the Nerazzurri have won the competition thrice - most recently as part of a treble in 2010 - while the Parisians are looking for their first.
Two years later, Inter are back in the final - in quite dramatic circumstances after flirting with an exit. Meanwhile, the Parisians were on the brink of an early exit, winning one of their opening five league phase games before catching fire. Who will have the last laugh?
