PSG dominated from the beginning and never looked back, winning 5-0 to claim their first Champions League title.
Kickoff. Portuguese midfielder Vitinha, one of the most accurate passers in the world, stepped up and, with the first kick of the game, booted the ball up the field and out of bounds. Inter throw-in. Just like that, Luis Enrique’s tactical masterclass had begun.
PSG never disguised their intentions. In fact, that opening kick-off showed it all. The Parisiens wanted the ball in Inter’s half, where they could either control possession if they had the ball, or, if they didn’t, win it back in a good position. If, by some bizarre series of events, Inter were to take the ball into PSG’s half, PSG would simply use their side’s blistering pace on a counter attack.
Just 12 minutes into the game, Enrique’s approach paid off. Vitinha found Désiré Doué with space inside the box, and Doué smartly found Achraf Hakimi. Hakimi, who spent one season with Inter before his move to Paris, was completely unmarked inside the box and slotted it past Yann Sommer for the opener.
After PSG took the lead, they were never going to surrender it. The Ligue 1 side continued to dominate possession while Inter looked uncomfortable both in and out of possession. And, on a rare Inter attack, I Nerazzurri were punished for losing the ball when PSG promptly went the other way and doubled their lead on a counter finished off by Désiré Doué, albeit with a deflection from Federico DiMarco.
Inter finally got a decent chance in the 37th minute, when Marcus Thuram was found for a free header on a corner kick. Unfortunately for Thuram, he would miss the net entirely. That would prove to be the only worry Donnarumma would have on the night. Inter would later register a shot on target, but only in the 75th minute when the game was 4-0. Donnarumma would save that shot, too.
Half-time offered a merciful break for Inter, but once play resumed, nothing changed. Inter manager Simone Inzaghi boldly made zero changes, tactical or otherwise. His side momentarily settled into the game, but, with PSG still confidently pushing forward and Inter lacking any sort of threat going forward, his hand was soon forced.
In the 54th minute, Inter made a double substitution, with Nicola Zalewski and Yann Aurel Bisseck coming on for Benjamin Pavard and DiMarco — who was coming off about 53 minutes too late. Unfortunately, the Italian wing-back had been tormented all game by the PSG attack and looked a shadow of himself — and he was a big reason that Inter fell behind so quickly, although it’s not as if anyone else was much better.
Eight minutes later, Inter would make two more substitutions — both strangely defensive. First, Bisseck was forced to exit with an injury, but 35-year-old Matteo Darmian was an odd choice to replace him. Then, the usually creative but silent on the night midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan exited, replaced by left wing-back Carlos Augusto.
One minute later, PSG scored their third.
It was once again a devastating quick break. Ousmane Dembélé, tipped as a Ballon d’Or winner by many, backheeled nicely to Vitinha, who found Doué open once again. Doué sealed the game with his finish past Sommer, but PSG still weren’t done. Far from it.
At this point, Inter looked completely broken and offered nothing in defense or attack. Inzaghi’s men — viewed as one of the mentally strongest sides in Europe — were merely hoping for the game to end. This was not the same team that fought back against Barcelona and managed to salvage a result and advance to the final. This was a team that was ready to throw in the towel.
In the 73rd minute, Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — signed in the January transfer window from Napoli — would join the fun, firing past a stranded Sommer for the fourth goal. PSG, passing circles around Inter, would win by the joint-most goal tally in the Champions League if they could hold on. They did one better.
Despite Enrique subbing on two teenagers in place of stars, PSG would add another to take the record. This time, it was 19-year-old substitute Senny Mayulu who blasted it past Sommer from close range for the final goal. Minutes later, the final whistle blew — with no added time to prevent further humiliation for Inter. An unprecedented 5-0 Champions League Final for PSG.
As strange as it seems, 5-0 was a flattering scoreline for Inter. PSG dominated everything. There was not a moment in the match that Inter looked the better side. They finished with 59% possession. They had 23 shots to Inter’s eight, and eight big chances to Inter’s one. PSG even completed more passes in Inter’s half than Inter did, and of course more passes in their own half than Inter did.
Had Barcola’s finishing been a little better, or Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia a little luckier, it could have easily been seven or eight goals. Not that they’ll care.
It’s fitting that this final — PSG’s first-ever Champions League Final victory — was in Munich. Five years ago, it was Bayern Munich who prevented an all-conquering PSG side from lifting the trophy. Despite having far more star power, PSG were shut out by a Bayern side that cost as much as Neymar did. And, to make things worse, it was a former PSG academy star, Kingsley Coman, who nodded home the lone goal.
PSG are still far from a flawless team. They lost some games they should have won, and still miss on some big transfers. The club remains far from controversy-free, whether it’s their sports-washing owners or simply reports of feuds. But, since their 2020 loss to Bayern, PSG did learn one thing — the collective will always win over the individual.
Under Luis Enrique this season, PSG didn’t just win — they dominated. Inter was just the latest team to feel their wrath.
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📸: ligue1.com.
