Ten years after his first Treble win, Luis Enrique has once again conquered the continent, leading Paris Saint-Germain to a resounding 5-0 victory in Germany. The Asturian coach, who expressed a desire to be the first to guide PSG to European football`s summit, achieved this with a team characterized by dynamism and selflessness. At just 19, Désiré Doué delivered a potentially career-defining performance in little over an hour, perfectly embodying this team`s spirit.
PSG held a significant advantage in preparation, having already secured the Ligue 1 title two months prior and facing minimal challenge in the Coupe de France final against a relegated side. In contrast, Simone Inzaghi`s Inter Milan had been involved in a Serie A title race that went down to the final day.
Inter arrived in Munich boosted by the return of captain Lautaro Martínez and Benjamin Pavard, both sidelined since the semi-finals. Luis Enrique made just one change to his regular lineup, opting to start Désiré Doué over Bradley Barcola in attack.
PSG`s early dominance saw efforts from Doué and Dembélé saved by Sommer, before a swift passing sequence broke the deadlock just after ten minutes. Typical of their season, Vitinha was central, receiving the ball back before threading it through for Doué. With time and space in the box, the young Frenchman coolly squared it to Achraf Hakimi, who finished into an empty net against his former club.
Failing to match PSG`s intensity, the Italians were caught on the break minutes later. This time, Doué finished a Dembélé-led counter-attack with a deflected shot past Sommer. While Inter created a few minor chances towards the end of the half, PSG`s overwhelming intensity remained the defining feature.
The second half began similarly, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia seeing chances denied by a resilient Inter defense. The third goal sealed the win around the hour mark as Désiré Doué slotted home his second, again played in by Vitinha. Kvaratskhelia added a fourth ten minutes later, set up by Nuno Mendes, ensuring the scoreline fully reflected PSG`s absolute dominance. The fifth goal solidified the comprehensive victory.
Nearly a decade and a half after the QSI takeover, PSG has finally reached the pinnacle of European football, doing so without the collection of high-profile stars that defined previous eras. It`s fitting that Désiré Doué was the standout performer; his journey this season – starting slow and uncertain before bursting into life – mirrors that of the team itself.
Player Ratings
Paris Saint-Germain
Gianluigi Donnarumma, 7
Achraf Hakimi, 8
Marquinhos, 8
Willian Pacho, 8
Nuno Mendes, 7
Fabián Ruiz, 8
João Neves, 7
Vitinha, 9 – Covered the most ground bar Barella, drove most attacks, won the midfield battle. A typical Champions League performance.
Désiré Doué, 10 – A career-defining performance: two goals and an assist in a Champions League final at 19. Justified his start, delivering dynamism and incision all over the pitch.
Ousmane Dembélé, 7
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, 7 – A quiet first hour despite dribbling into promising areas. Made amends with a well-taken goal to kill off any comeback hopes.
Selected Inter Milan
Yann Sommer, 3 – Couldn`t repeat semi-final heroics, conceding five. Goals were mostly out of his reach.
Denzel Dumfries, 4
Francesco Acerbi, 3
Benjamin Pavard, 3 – World Cup winner just back from injury; it showed against a ruthless counter-attacking side. Substituted early.
Marcus Thuram, 4
Lautaro Martínez, 3
