Just as Inter Milan carries the memory of Istanbul 2023, Paris Saint-Germain is looking back at 2020, specifically the Champions League final they lost to Bayern Munich. Although that match was played behind closed doors, the experience shapes their current mindset. PSG captain Marquinhos stated in a press conference, “It`s a bit different from the last final, also in terms of the environment: we played behind closed doors, without a crowd. We are ready for this match; we know Inter`s strength, but the cup would be the cherry on top, and we want to bring it to Paris.”
A driving force for the team has been Ousmane Dembélé, who responded to questions about the Ballon d`Or “like Lautaro” (referencing a similar humble answer from the Inter striker): “What`s important are the team trophies I could win, not individual ones. Of course, I think about it, but through the results of the team,” he said in a press conference. Deploying him as a center forward has been a major tactical insight by coach Luis Enrique. The coach gives credit to the player while focusing on winning another Champions League, ten years after his success with Barcelona against Juventus. He commented to the press, “Well, this time too we are playing against an Italian team. These are different situations. I am calm thanks to my maturity; I am ten years older, more experienced. I try to share all of this with my players: they can write history, and I want to make sure there isn`t an excess of emotions.”
Like Simone Inzaghi, Luis Enrique has employed `pretactics` by not fully revealing his likely formation. He seems to have just one real doubt: Barcola is favored over Doué in attack, playing alongside Dembélé. The probable midfield trio includes Neves, Vitinha, and Fabian Ruiz. Hakimi and Nuno Mendes are expected at fullback, with Pacho and Marquinhos as the central defenders in front of goalkeeper Gigio Donnarumma.
