The Champions League is the holy grail of European club football. Paris Saint-Germain is desperate to conquer it for the first time in their history and Inter Milan, one of the big old clubs, has not won it for 15 years.
One by one PSG overcome the English clubs this season and Manchester City defeated in the renewed competition phase before he eliminated Liverpool and then Aston Villa and Arsenal. Now they are only in the way.
Football is all about Balance and Luis Enrique's PSG game with an almost perfect balance in their 4-3-3 system, encapsulated by their front three from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue, who works so hard for the team. They may no longer have Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, but the work that this new front three out of possession could see them reach something that they never managed in a PSG shirt with stars.
The signing of the left -wing player Kvaratskhelia (left) from Napoli in January was fundamental for their success and his arrival unlocked the best of Dembele, who scored 25 goals and delivered six assists since the start of the year that this season has scored only eight times this season.
They will let Inter-Team suffer from interviewing, but this inter-team is steeped in the Italian tradition and will fight to the end and they play the back-five system better than anyone in Europe. (Manchester United -Baas Ruben Amorim will watch this final with sharp interest …)
The Inter System is flexible. When the left wing-back Federico Dimarco pushes high and wide, the defense becomes a rear four. They are comfortable on the ball and if you don't press with the right numbers, they can easily go around you.
But from possession, Simone Inzaghi keeps his three central back narrow and asks two central midfielders to push the flanks. He splits the front two of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, who help defensively in broad areas and force teams by playing the middle.
Dimarco was on a mission to disarm Barcelona -Superster Lamine Yamal in the semi -final, after celebrating every tackle and flying up and down and flying the left flank – but he also slid to midfield when needed to ensure that the internion was not in the minority.
In both games, Dimarco came loose just before the hour to be replaced by Carlos Augusto. It became clear in the Barca Stropdas that Inzaghi has no preference to start XI, but a favorite first 16. In both games, the same five men emerged at a normal time to pick up the baton as soon as their teammates had themselves rawless.
Inter's counterattack is the key to their success and concentrates on their intention to go with pace and confidence to hit a killing blow. They had less than 30 percent in both feet against Barca, but their advanced edge was huge, scored seven goals of 10 shots on goal.
They will have to be even more relentless against PSG, who will not play such a high line and have one of the best keepers in the world in Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was more shot against Arsenal than he had in a game all season, but had sent a heroic representation the entire season in a match.
This is a match for all football. Whether you love the fast-flowing, beautiful passing game or you prefer the stubborn, hard to cover, smash-and-grab approach with men behind the ball, the final of Saturday evening will have everything. It will be fascinating to see which style wins.