Champions League Final Tips & Predictions
Given they were both outside the top six in the betting when the League Phase draw was made in August, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan being the two teams in Saturday’s Champions League final is a major shock.
PSG has quickly been dubbed the best team in Europe thanks to its frightening frontline and Luis Enrique’s beautiful tiki-taka style, but Inter picked off Barcelona, another challenger to that title, in a thrilling semi-final and will be looking to cause another upset.
Simone Inzaghi’s side are looking to make amends for their 2023 final defeat to Manchester City, while the Parisians are aiming to get their hands on the Champions League for the first time, making Saturday’s showpiece at the Allianz Arena an intriguing affair.
Tip 1 - Inter to win the trophy @ 6/5
Having knocked out Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal - sides who finished first, sixth and second in the Premier League - en route to Munich, it is no surprise to see PSG, fresh from sealing the domestic double, come into this final as favourites.
However, they required heroics from Gianluigi Donnarumma on more than one occasion in those ties, and they are still a very young squad, with their favoured midfield trio and front three having an average age of just 24.2.
Inter, in contrast, still have plenty of the players who lined up in the 2023 final amongst their ranks and will be fired up after missing out on the Serie A title to Napoli last Friday.
Inzaghi’s men can use all of their experience to nullify PSG, just as they did when edging a thrilling semi-final against a similarly young but talented Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate, and may have enough to land a first Champions League crown since 2010.
Tip 2 - Under 2.5 goals @ 17/20
PSG’s games generate goals, there’s no denying that. Twelve of their last 15 matches have seen at least three scored - perhaps no surprise with Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the pitch - but it could be worth opposing the trend on Saturday.
Finals are often cagey encounters - just look at last Wednesday’s drab Europa League showpiece between Tottenham and Manchester United - and the Champions League’s recent offerings have been no different, with each of the last six staying under 2.5 goals.
With Donnarumma in one goal and Yann Sommer, who has been just as sensational for Inter in the Champions League as his Italian counterpart has been for PSG, the star-studded frontlines could be left frustrated in Munich and under 2.5 goals is an appealing selection.
Tip 3 - Federico Dimarco over 0.5 shots on target @ 9/5
One area Inter will look to get at PSG is down the wings. Their 3-5-2 system asks a lot of wing-backs Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco, but the pair often oblige and are exceptional in their role, which Inzaghi will look to use to his advantage at the Allianz Arena.
Achraf Hakimi has been instrumental in PSG’s run to the final, and his willingness to fly forward can often leave gaps down the Parisians’ right flank, which Dimarco can exploit.
The Inter wing-back has registered a shot on target in two of his last three games and hit the woodwork with one of his two efforts in the 2023 Champions League final, making him a standout selection to have a shot on target in Munich.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation