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A statement win for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) saw them put five past a hapless Inter Milan side in the final of the UEFA Champions League as they won 5-0 on Saturday (May 31). The game was played in Munich, Germany.
The reigning Ligue 1 champions saw off Brest with relative ease in their Knockout Playoff round before getting past Liverpool in the Round of 16. Wins over Aston Villa and Arsenal helped them reach the final. The in-form Ousmane Dembele led the attack alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue for Les Parisiens.
Inter Milan, meanwhile, had a slightly tougher route to the title clash. Qualifying as one of the top eight teams, the Nerazzurri beat Feyenoord before advancing to the quarterfinals, where they beat Bayern Munich. They then played one of the most exciting semifinal ties in UCL history, edging past Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate. They were led by Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram in attack, while Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella were key names in defense and midfield, respectively.
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A positive start for PSG saw them threaten the Inter Milan goal early on. They eventually took the lead as a smart pass from Vitinha found Doue, who squared it to Achraf Hakimi for a simple tap-in to open the scoring in the 12th minute.
The young winger, Doue, turned scorer eight minutes later. A rapid counter-attack saw Dembele's cross-field ball find the 19-year-old, whose sharp volley deflected on its way home to double their advantage.
The Italian giants struggled to find a way past some energetic pressing from Luis Enrique's men.
The floodgates opened in the second half as Inter surged ahead in search of goals, leaving them vulnerable on the counter. Doue added his second in the 63rd minute, finishing off a brilliant move with a composed finish past Yann Sommer.
Kvaratskhelia got into the act soon after (73'), collecting a great pass from Dembele and showing excellent composure to lift it over Sommer to make it 4-0.
Senny Mayulu put the icing on the cake with four minutes to go, exchanging passes with fellow substitute Bradley Barcola before unleashing a powerful effort from close range.
The result means PSG win their first-ever Champions League title, while Inter Milan's bitter defeat caps off a bitter season, as they finish second-best both domestically and continentally. Here are five talking points:
#5. Energetic pressing makes a big impact
PSG seemed keen to press Inter hard off the ball, indicated by their move of kicking the ball straight out of play from kick-off. It had a massive effect, as Inter Milan never really found their rhythm, struggling to notch passes together. The likes of Dembele and Doue were especially hard-working, and it paid rich dividends.
#4. Youth to the fore for Les Parisiens
The French giants have seemingly moved away from their strategy to sign established stars, adopting a more youth-driven approach in the market. Vital contributions from the likes of Doue, João Neves, Willian Pacho, Barcola, and others have validated this decision for the side, completing a continental treble.
#3. Inter Milan's attack fails to show up
After a frenzy against Barcelona, where they scored seven goals across two legs in the semifinals, Simone Inzaghi was let down by a forgettable outing for his forwards. Thuram was targeted directly on multiple occasions but found it difficult to get going, while Martinez rarely had a look in on goal. In all, they had just two shots on target from eight attempts, collecting just 0.49 xG.
#2. Desire Doue arrives on the world football stage
Despite his impressive performances in Ligue 1 over the last two seasons for Rennes and PSG, many may not have been aware of the 19-year-old's exploits. However, with two goals and an assist in the UCL final, the Frenchman has certainly turned heads around.
#1. PSG finally break their UCL duck
What began as a shaky campaign, finishing 15th in the league stage with four wins in eight games, has been transformed into a memorable year for Enrique's side. PSG have done well to cope with the loss of talismanic attacker Kylian Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid last year. On the back of some fantastic coaching from Luis Enrique, the club will have a lot to look forward to in the coming years.
