It was a long time ago on September 18th last year when the Champions League season began, the first in a completely different format - Inter showed their teeth to Manchester City at the Etihad (0:0), Paris Saint-Germain barely beat Girona 1:0 at their Parc des Princes with an own goal by the Catalans' goalkeeper. Paula Gasanige in the referee's allowance.
Eight and a half months later, it's time for the match of all matches in European club football, the venue is the "Allianz Arena" in Munich, and the players are teams that were only in the second category of favorites at the start of the season - Inter and PSG.
The Nerazzurri are looking to make their seventh appearance in the League/Champions Cup finals, their second in the last three seasons, and are aiming for their fourth European Cup, while history shows that the Saints are nowhere near them, as they will be competing for the trophy for only the second time. After being defeated by Bayern Munich in Lisbon in 2020...
If we look at tradition, there are many arguments in favor of Inter before tonight's duel in the heart of Bavaria, and just as many in favor of the Parisians, who have had a great season, but they all fall into the water tonight at 21 pm when the referee Istvan Kovač The whistle blows and marks the start of the final.
PSG had a much harder road to the title game, finishing the league season in 15th place and only secured a place in the play-offs with a convincing 4-1 win in Stuttgart in the final round. There, they outclassed Brest, and then eliminated three English teams - Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal.
Team Luis Enrique grew in the Champions League as the season progressed, while Inter's path was simpler, as they were a team from start to finish. Simone Inzaghi was more than stable.
The "Black and Blue" finished the regular season in fourth place behind Liverpool, Barcelona and Arsenal, conceding only one goal in eight games - in their only defeat, to Bayer Leverkusen. Then, the former Italian champion defeated Feyenoord, Bayern and Barcelona in an epic double-header with a total of 13 goals and triumphed in the second leg at the "Giuseppe Meazza" after 120 minutes - 4:3...
That was the story of both sides in the Champions League this season - Inter vs. PSG, only one of them can finish the big campaign triumphantly?
INZAGI AND LAUTARO: THE LAST STEP!
An Inter title would round off Inzaghi's four-year era, but would also be the best salve for the wound from Serie A, where Napoli won the Scudetto ahead of the Milan giants in an exciting race.
"We had a great season in the Champions League and we all wanted to get back to the final, after losing to Manchester City two years ago. Now we are here, fully deserved, and we have one last step left," said Inzaghi.
The former Lazio coach may be leading Inter for the last time (there is a rich offer from Al Hilal), but the latest information suggests that he is closer to staying.
- The 2023 final can certainly help us prepare for this match, but everything is different - the opponent, the atmosphere, and we are different... We are ready for this match, we wanted it and gave everything for it - said Inzaghi.
Captain Lautaro Martinez He still remembers the tears from Istanbul when City were no better on the pitch, but the goal decided the game. Rodria.
- It's a big deal when you're in the final for the second time in three seasons, but you remember the winners. I want to turn the dream into reality and give the fans the trophy they've been waiting for for 15 years - says the Argentine, who has been recovering from an injury since the second leg of the semi-final with Barça.
Inter triumphantly passed through Munich on April 8, where they defeated Bayern 2:1 in the first leg of the quarter-finals, with Martinez and David FrateziBack then, he had only one goal - to return to the Allianz Arena this season.
- The title is not an obsession, just a goal we want to achieve - Inzaghi is clear.
PSG is the last French team to win a European trophy (the 1996 Cup Winners' Cup), and three years earlier, Marseille won the European Cup in the only French-Italian final in this competition - they beat Milan 1-0.
“SAINTS” WANT TO COVER UP THEIR TOP SEASON
Most of the numbers are not in Paris Saint-Germain's favor, as French teams have only won twice in 15 European finals so far, but what Enrique has done this season gives fans the right to believe that history is being changed tonight in Munich.
The "Saints" have won two domestic titles - in Ligue 1 and the French Cup, and in the City of Light they would trade them all for the one on the table tonight.
"When I arrived in Paris I had only one goal - to build an identity and play team football. That style led us to the final, even though many wrote us off," said Enrique.
No more Kylian Mbappe, Neymar i Lionel Messi - as if that's exactly what had to happen for PSG to become powerful.
Enrique gave space to young aces like Desire Duea i Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele playing a career season, Ashraf Hakimi has long been the best right-back in the world, Vitinja the absolute boss in the middle of the field, between the posts Gianluigi Donaruma has a season in which he was often a hero... He joined them all in January Khviča Kvaracheli so Paris attacks with all weapons.
- The motivation for the final is that we are attacking a trophy that we don't have in our cabinets. It is always the hardest to win that first trophy, as if someone needs to open the door and say: "Here, we did it. Now other generations can try". That was the case with the Spanish national team at the Euros and the World Cup - Enrique pointed out.
The Spaniard won the Champions League with Barca in 2015.
- I am a more experienced coach and a more experienced person than I was 10 years ago. I believe that I am now a complete coach and that the experience from the Berlin final against Juventus will help me properly prepare the team for the clash with a phenomenal opponent - said Enrique.
Inter is a top team, claims Enrique:
- Inter have the 2023 final behind them, they know how these games are played. They also have the same coach, all of which gives confidence to a team that plays very well both with and without the ball. There is no doubt that these two teams are worthy of the final - concluded Enrique.
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