Paris v Inter Champions League final preview

Paris meet Inter in the Uefa Champions League final at the Munich Football Arena on Saturday (9pm).

Here we preview the most prestigious match in European club football as the two clubs battle for the ultimate prize.

This will be the first Champions League meeting between these clubs and only the second final between teams from France and Italy after the 1992/93 decider, when Marseille defeated Milan 1-0 – that match was also played in Munich, at the Olympiastadion.

Paris are aiming to go one better than in 2020, when they lost to Bayern München in Lisbon. Three-time winners Inter last lifted the trophy in 2010 and have taken part in one decider under Simone Inzaghi, going down to Manchester City in the 2023 showpiece.

Paris had a turbulent journey in the inaugural league phase. After a shaky start, they rallied to win their final three group games and clinch 15th place. A 10-0 knockout phase play-off win over domestic rivals Brest ignited their campaign. From there, Luis Enrique's team overturned a home defeat to eliminate league phase winners Liverpool on penalties, then dispatched Aston Villa (5-4 on aggregate) and Arsenal (3-1 aggregate) – the latter a measure of revenge for a league phase loss.

Inter, by contrast, were among the most consistent sides in the league phase, finishing fourth with just one defeat – a 1-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen, the only goal they conceded. In the knockout phase, Simone Inzaghi's men eased past Feyenoord, edged Bayern 4-3 overall in a tight tie, then outlasted Barcelona in a nail-biting semi-final thriller that ended 7-6 on aggregate.

Paris are the third French team to reach the final of the European Cup/Champions League more than once after Reims (1955/56, 1958/59) and Marseille (1990/91, 1992/93). They have won nine of their last 11 Champions League matches (L2) and have scored the first goal in seven of their last nine games in the competition.

This will be Inter's seventh European Cup/Champions League final and have won 10 games in this edition – their best total in a single season in Uefa competition. The Nerazzurri have lost only one of their 14 Champions League matches this term and are unbeaten in the last eight (W6 D2).

Luis Enrique said: "It's Inter's second final in three years. They're ready. They've not made too many changes to their side. It's a team that dominates from set pieces. It's up to us to go into the final in the right frame of mind.

"We've grown a lot this season and the players have progressed a lot. I think the strength of the team is the most important thing. You learn something every day after many years of experience as a coach and I'm improving all the time with this group."

Inzaghi said: "The players did something extraordinary. We played four amazing games against two world-class teams like Bayern and Barcelona. It was great to celebrate this achievement (reaching the final) here with our fans."