Champions League Final 2024/25: History, Head-to-Head, Where to Watch, Team News & Players to Watch | OneFootball

Champions League glory is on the line as Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan lock horns in the grand final at the Allianz Arena this weekend.

The most highly anticipated fixture in the European club season takes place on Saturday evening, with Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs appointed to officiate the high-stakes contest.

Fresh off trouncing Stade Reims 3-0 in the Coupe de France final, PSG will be out to conquer the competition their hearts desire the most and finally put the most coveted continental title into their trophy cabinet.

Luis Enrique could rewrite history books after winning back-to-back titles in Ligue 1 as he bids to inspire Les Parisiens to an elusive first Champions League triumph.

Aiming to stop him in his tracks will be Simone Inzaghi, who stands on the precipice of a first trophyless season since replacing Antonio Conte in the dugout four years ago.

Conte pipped his successor to the Serie A throne amid growing speculation linking the 49-year-old with a lucrative switch to the Saudi Pro League.

It could be an added motivation for Inzaghi, as inspiring the Nerazzurri to their fourth Champions League title would be a fitting way to bid farewell to the San Siro.

Is it time?

Despite establishing unparalleled dominance in Ligue 1 since the Qatari funds entered the club nearly 15 years ago, Les Parisiens have encountered continuous failures on the continental front.

PSG’s only previous appearance in the Champions League final resulted in Bayern Munich beating a Thomas Tuchel-led side 1-0 in the Lisbon showpiece five years ago.

Enrique hopes to go one better than the German tactician after the perennial French champions won both legs in their semi-final tie against Arsenal to reach only their second Champions League final.

Facing Italian opposition is potentially a good omen, considering PSG had gone unbeaten in ten consecutive matches against European clubs (W4, D6) before a 2-1 defeat at AC Milan in last season’s group stages.

Adding to the Parc des Princes outfit’s confidence, they’ve emerged victorious from nine of their last 11 games at Europe’s top table (L2), with both defeats coming in the knockout stages.

However, they may not relish a trip to Germany, given that they’ve only won five of their 17 previous visits to the country (D3, L9), not to mention three defeats in four matches at the Allianz Arena.

Perfect parting gift

As talks surrounding Inzaghi’s potential transfer to Al-Hilal pick up momentum, this could be a farewell game for the ex-Lazio boss, who’s gearing up for a second Champions League final in three years.

Inter slumped to a heart-wrenching 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Istanbul final, inflicting further damage on their overall record in UEFA finals after a 2020 Europa League loss to Sevilla (W8, L6).

Keen to make amends for those heartaches and a narrow defeat to Napoli in this season’s Scudetto race, Inter can draw confidence from a 3-0 rout of PSG’s fellow Ligue 1 rivals Monaco in this season’s group phase.

However, that victory was only their fourth in the last 13 encounters against French opponents (D5, L4), which hardly makes for good reading as they look to ascend the European throne for the first time since 2010.

Against this backdrop, Inzaghi’s charges have racked up ten wins in this season’s Champions League, setting a new club record for the most victories in a single campaign in Europe’s elite competition.

One of those triumphs came in the return leg of their epic semi-final tie against Barcelona as they bagged a last-gasp equaliser before running out 4-3 victors in extra-time.

Head-to-Head

PSG and Inter have never faced each other in an official match, but they’ve traded tackles in five friendlies since 2014.

After winning the first three, the French heavyweights have lost the last two despite scoring both times.

Les Parisiens’ dominant run against Italian opposition before the aforementioned slip-up at the San Siro can inspire confidence ahead of this history-defining fixture.

But they must knock Inter down from an eight-match unbeaten streak in the Champions League (W6, D2) to hoist the trophy.

Inter’s evenly-balanced record on German soil (W10, D8, L10) suggests they won’t be overawed by the occasion.

Where to watch?

Fans in the United Kingdom can tune in for the Champions League final live on TNT Sports and the BBC. United States supporters can watch the final on Paramount+ and TUDN.

Fans unable to watch the game on television but hoping to catch live action via streaming platforms can check out other streaming sites for the best online experience.

Team News

Former Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is ready for the Munich showpiece after missing the Coupe de France final due to a migraine.

His return leaves long-term absentee Presnel Kimpembe as the only player from the French camp unable to feature in this game.

As for Inter, Piotr Zielinski, Lautaro Martinez and Benjamin Pavard have regained full fitness after being sidelined for over a month.

Despite the Frenchman’s recovery, Yann Bisseck should retain his place in the back three alongside Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni.

Potential starting line-ups

Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.

Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez.

Players to watch

Ousmane Dembele

PSG’s potential victory could make Ousmane Dembele the leading candidate to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or after the ex-Barcelona winger pieced together a remarkable season.

In addition to finishing the Ligue 1 campaign as a joint-top scorer with Olympique Marseille’s Mason Greenwood (21), he has been in scintillating form in the Champions League.

Dembele’s tally of eight goals and four assists accounts for the most goal contributions from a PSG player in a single season at Europe’s top table, testifying to his incredible rise under Enrique.

Lautaro Martinez

Despite his lacklustre form in the first half of the season, Lautaro Martinez has led by example in the Champions League, equalling Hernan Crespo’s record for the most goals scored by an Inter player in a single campaign.

The Nerazzurri captain has amassed nine European strikes, including a crucial deadlock-breaker in the return leg against Barcelona to set the tone for Inter’s success.

El Toro could also become only the sixth player to score in all four knockout rounds in the same Champions League season.