Football – Champions League: Chanel against Versace in the final

When the final of the Champions League increases in the Bavarian capital this Saturday, you can hardly avoid the cliché of a duel of opposites. With Inter, the oldest team of this royal class season meets a youthful carefree PSG. While the Milanese have been part of Europe for years without the big stars, Paris had to get rid of his world stars Messi, Neymar and Mbappé to become ready for title. In addition, Italian tradition plays against French-cataric new icing. And of course the final of the European fashion capacity is also about extravagance and simple beauty. But in turn.

The way both teams to Munich could hardly have been more different. Inter was one of the strongest teams during the newly created league. Only Leverkusen was able to defeat the Nerazzurri in the league. In the 1-0 against the Werkself, the Milanese conceded their only goal in eight preliminary round games. In the end, they qualified in fourth place in the final table directly for the round of 16. At the beginning, Paris stumbled violently through the new royal class format. Four points were scored from the first five league games. It was only with a 4: 1 against VfB Stuttgart on the last match day PSG saved himself into the playoff round before the round of 16, where, however, after two clear victories against Brest, it also easily went to the round of 16.

Exchanged roles in the ko phase

From then on, both finalists were increasingly in exchanged roles. While Paris appeared on his purely English path into the final against Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal, Inters Ko round games became more and more unusual. The quarter-finals against FC Bayern with an end result of 4: 3 after the back and forth was a goal-rich spectacle. Since the semifinals against Hansi Flicks FC Barcelona, ​​in which a completely crazy 3: 3 in Catalonia was crowned by an even more insane 4: 3 after extra time in the Milan Guiseppe-Mazza Stadium, everything is possible with this Inter.

This may also be due to the fact that the team is probably sensing their last chance of a big title in this line -up. Simone Inzaghi has given the direction on the sidelines for four years. The core of his team has hardly changed since then. Italy’s best central defender Alessandro Bastoni, the offensive outskirts Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries, as well as the ball -proof midfield around Nicolò Barella and Hakan Çalhanoğlu and striker Lautaro Martínez all have been playing at Inter at least since the 2021/22 season. Together they won the Coppa Italia in 2023, in the same year in the Champions League final with 0: 1 narrowly to Manchester City, but secured the 20th Italian championship in 2024. In terms of experience and well -being, Inter cannot be beaten. The price for this are many regular players beyond the 35.

Paris’ new transfer strategy is open

This season, PSG has emphasized that you can also reach the final with completely different qualities. In fact, Paris had explained the current season to the transition year. After Kylian Mbappé’s departure last summer to Real Madrid, ex-Barça trainer Luis Enrique should get everyone to form a new team of young, hungry players. “The five-year plan was a mistake that I openly admitted,” said PSG boss Nasser El-Khelaifi in March and said his announcement pronounced in 2011 that after the takeover, after taking over by the billion-dollar Qatar Sports Investment Fond, the Champions League would win the Champions League with a bought up. Instead, they now want to build a development capable of developing. Of all things, this team can get the triple from the championship, trophy and champions League in the first year.

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The French record champion still spends a lot of money on this, after the 70 million euro winter transfer from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from SSC Naples, it was just under 240 million euros again this season. But the Georgian dribble artist was the oldest newly signed field player at the age of 24. Just like Kvaratskhelia, the central defender Willian Pacho (23), midfield engine João Neves (20) and the French offensive talent Désiré Doué (19) have already become key players of the retired team in their first PSG season. From the Paris team, which lost the final for the Henkelpott with 0: 1 in 2020, only captain Marquinhos and the long -term injured Presnel Kimpembe are left.

Luis Enrique-devises Durch

However, the tactical realignment at PSG is even more impressive than personnel renewal. After the farewell to Messi, Neymar and Mbappé, Paris has become a real pressing machine. Without the megastars who were raised about any defensive tasks, the team has found its balance between art and hard work. The offensive series in the fluid 4-3-3 system by Luis Enrique is now the first line of defense without a ball. No player stands above the collective.

The Spanish coach in winter showed that this sports phrase is really important to him when he stroked Ousmane Dembélé in the league against Arsenal because the Frenchman was late for training. When the ex-Dortmund saw an unnecessary red card in the next Champions League game against Bavaria, Enrique had his best offensive player in the French league braised two games on the bench. Since then, Dembélé has been playing in the form of his life. In this calendar year he already scored 25 goals across competition. This is also due to the fact that the 28-year-old has been playing nine in the storm center since the transfer of Kvaratskhelia. From there he always falls deep into the midfield, which is why it can hardly be grasped for the opposing defenders.

Inters incredible residue statistics

Dembélé and Ko are in Munich. But now before the task of taking the lead at all. Because that has been almost impossible against Inter in this royal class season. The Italians were only in their 16 duels for 16 minutes. Four minutes against Leverkusen and six against Bavaria and Barcelona. The Swiss national goalkeeper Yann Sommer had a major role in this. The former Bayern and Gladbach goalie plays the best season of his career at the age of 36. “I am no longer the youngest and I can play the Champions League final with this team. I couldn’t be happier, ”said Sommer before the final at his old place of work. But Paris also has a world-class goalkeeper in his box with Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is currently also playing his best season in the PSG jersey.

In the final, both final men should be able to do a lot. The smallest European cup endgame should also be a good omen for this. After Chelsea’s 4-1 victory against Betis Sevilla in the Conference League on Wednesday, the series should finally tear on Saturday, in which only one team has ever hit the Champions League final since 2018. After all, this time the question is about the fashion metropolis in which the most beautiful and exciting football is played.