Paris SG in this tie are playing their first UCL final since losing to Bayern Munich in 2020. Inter are no stranger to UCL finals, last winning in 2010 and reaching the showpiece against Manchester City in 2023. Both teams lost their previous finals 1-0 with Inter losing to Rodri, while PSG losing to a former Parisian, Kingsley Coman.
PSG’s midfield is in my opinion the strongest aspect of their game with Vitinha, Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz heralding the centre of the pitch.
PSG start the final as the dominant side, moving the ball from side to side, with Inter in the early phases content to sit back and capitalize on any errors of PSG. This has been their approach to big games by Inzaghi and his predecessor Antonio Conte. PSG’s early dominance would likely lead to a goal as Inter would likely fold under their pressure at some point.
Inter are playing for the majority of the time without the ball in a mid-block, while PSG are taking more shots in the first twelve minutes, albeit from range. And they were able to to get the early goal, as the former Inter Milan player Achraf Hakimi tapped the ball into an empty net after a lovely pass by Vitinha to Doue who found the Moroccan right-back. 1-0 PSG.
PSG are trying to put sufficient pressure on Inter, and this includes the goalkeeper Yann Sommer, as the French team try to force a mistake.
In the twentieth minute, as Inter Milan pile men forward, PSG hit them on the counter and turn defence into attack. Ousmane Dembele finds Desire Doue and his strike takes a massive deflection off Dimarco and past Sommer to make it 2-0 to the French champions.
Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue hold the width on either side, while PSG are patient while looking for an opening. Vitinha is more like a tempo dictator, as he knows whether to slow down or speed up the game depending on the situation. PSG also try to find Vitinha in between the lines as he can pick passes to the forward players (Doue, Dembele and Kvara).
Paris have been dominant in the first half and deserve their two-goal cushion. Inter’s main tactic is to get the ball to the wingbacks, especially Denzel Dumfries and then whip crosses into the box whoch PSG have not had much trouble defending so far. At times, Kvaratskhelia and Dembele rotate which sees the Georgian winger take up a central space while the 2018 World cup winner go to the right hand side. Doue also rotates with them as he can be seen on the left hand side, while he started the game primarily as a right winger.
HALF-TIME 2-0! Bien merité les Parisiens.
PSG started the second half on the front foot, with Kvaratskhelia having a chance in the first minute of the second period. Inter tried to capitalize on their height advantage, especially their center backs in set pieces, but to no avail. Kvaratskhelia also had another chance in the fiftieth minute, but like the previous chance, his shot was off-target. Donnarumma was well aware of the set-piece prowess of Inter and was proactive in trying to punch out the deliveries into his box.
PSG have allowed Inter to have more of the ball than they did in the first half, while they would likely hit the Italians on the counterattack.
One concern of Inter in this game is that they are making defensive changes while being two goals down. Another concern is that by the sixty third minute, they had no shots on target. And PSG, with a quick attack score a goal in that period. Desire Doue puts the ball past Sommer to get the third goal of the game, which is a goal that can cause the Paris Ultras to celebrate as there is almost no way back for Inter from this point.
He wasn’t able to get a hat-trick in this game as he was substituted for Bradley Barcola.
Credit to PSG as Thuram and Lautaro Martinez have rarely had a sniff all game. Even when Inter had the ball, the PSG defence was rarely troubled. And in the seventy-second minute, Inter had no answer as they were opened up by Kvaratskhelia who scored the fourth goal of the game. This was one of the most one-sided finals, which reminds me of Johan Cruyff’s 4-0 loss to AC Milan when he was the manager of Barcelona. Luis Enrique has likely secured his second UCL after the one in 2015 when he coached Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.
As they are currently facing Liverpool in the 2025/26 quarter-finals, if PSG keep up this kind of performance, they would likely make it into the last 4 of the UCL. While for Inter Milan, they were embarrassed by Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt over two legs 5-2.
PSG, after their dominant display are just moving the ball around while the fans shout “Ole”. Luis Enrique made a triple change. Off go
Kvaratskhelia, Fabian and Joao Neves. On come Ramos, Mayulu and Warren Zaire-Emery. This game left Inter deflated, and this deflation reminded me of Tottenham when they lost to Liverpool in 2019, and they have been unable to reach those heights ever since they let go of Mauricio Pochettino. They now find themselves one point and one place above the relegation zone in the English Premier League having let go of their manager Igor Tudor. After hearing their fans sing ole after ole, Senny Mayulu scored the fifth foal beyond the helpless Sommer.
Inter were poor in this game. Dull at times and without that spark. And when a team that is known for being defensively compact concede that first goal, it leaves them psychologically down, and can open the floodgates for the 2020 UCL finalists to score five goals.
On est les champions. On est les champions.
The referee took pity on Inter and ended the game early. 5-0 to Paris Saint Germain. Their first champions league in their more than fifty year existence.
Allez Paris allez PSG.
Ore M. 
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