The curtain falls on the 2024/25 Uefa Champions League at the iconic Munich Football Arena on Saturday, where Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan lock horns in a first-ever meeting on this grand stage. Catch the action live on SuperSport from 7:30pm CAT, kick-off is at 9pm CAT.
For PSG, it’s a shot at history. The French giants have never lifted the European Cup, falling short in their only final appearance in 2020 against Bayern München. Now, under Luis Enrique’s leadership, they aim to break the curse and etch their name alongside Europe’s elite.
Inter, however, bring pedigree and experience. Already three-time European champions, they seek a fourth crown—and a second in the Champions League era—having last triumphed in 2010 under José Mourinho.
It’s familiar territory for Simone Inzaghi’s men, who reached this stage just two seasons ago, suffering heartbreak against Manchester City in Istanbul.
FINAL FOCUS
Munich has hosted four European Cup finals, delivering drama and first-time winners on each occasion. Will Paris join that list?
- 1979 – Nottingham Forest 1-0 Malmö
- 1993 – Marseille 1-0 AC Milan (France’s only triumph)
- 1997 – Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Juventus
- 2012 – Chelsea 1-1 Bayern (aet; 4-3 pens)
PSG'S SHOT AT REDEMPTION
Paris dream of becoming the 24th club to win the European Cup, following Manchester City’s maiden triumph over Inter in 2023. French clubs have struggled at this stage, with Reims, St-Étienne, Marseille, Monaco, and PSG all tasting defeat.
Their Uefa final record stands at W1 L3, with their sole victory coming in the 1996 Cup Winners' Cup against Rapid Wien. Now, they aim to add Champions League glory to their collection.
COACHING ELITE
Luis Enrique, a Champions League winner with Barcelona in 2015, is just the tenth coach to reach the final with multiple clubs. Can he join an elite group—including Mourinho, Guardiola, and Ancelotti—who have conquered Europe with more than one side?
YOUTH: In terms of the average age of their starting XI, Paris SG are the youngest side to have progressed beyond the play-off round in the Uefa Champions League this season (24y 262d), and fifth youngest in the tournament overall.
ADAPTABILITY: Paris SG are the only side who rank in the top five teams for both build up attacks (4.6) and direct attacks (3.2) per game in the Uefa Champions League this term, blending their elaborate possession sequences with quick moves through their speedy forwards.
INTENSITY: Paris SG rank first in the Uefa Champions League this season for shot ending high turnovers (37), with Luis Enrique’s side frequently turning their high-press efforts into attacking opportunities.
WIDTH: Paris SG have created more chances from the right-sided attacking third (77) than any other team in the Uefa Champions League this season, with 41 per cent of their chances created coming from the right flank.
VARIETY: Six different players have been directly involved in 5+ goals for Paris SG in the Uefa Champions League this season (Dembélé, Hakimi, Barcola, Doué, Mendes & Ruiz), with only Bayern Munich in 2019-20 and Manchester City in 2021-22 ever having more in a single edition (7 each).
WHAT THE STATS SAY
This is the first ever competitive meeting between Inter and Paris SG. It’s also the second European Cup/Uefa Champions League final between an Italian and a French side, after Marseille beat Milan 1-0 in 1993 – the only time a French side has ever won the trophy. That final was also held in Munich.
This is Inter’s seventh appearance in the European Cup/Uefa Champions League final, winning the trophy three times (1964, 1965 and 2010). They did lose their last final match, going down 1-0 against Manchester City in 2023.
This is Paris SG’s second ever appearance in the European Cup/Uefa Champions League final, losing 1-0 against Bayern Munich in 2019-20 previously. They remain the last French side to win a major European trophy – the 1995-96 Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup.
French clubs have only won two of their 15 major European finals: one out of seven in European Cup/Uefa Champions League, one out of three in Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup and none in five attempts in Uefa Cup/Uefa Europa League.
This will be the fifth European Cup/Uefa Champions League final to be held in Munich. The victors in each of the previous four were winning the trophy for the very first time, a run Paris SG will seek to continue (Nottingham Forest in 1979, Marseille in 1993, Borussia Dortmund in 1997, Chelsea in 2012).
This season has seen Paris SG both win their most games (10) and score their most goals (33) in a single major European campaign. They’ve also registered their most shots per game (18.6) in a Uefa Champions League season on record since 2003-04.