Ahead of Saturday's showpiece in Munich, GOAL has selected a combined team based on performances in 2024-25
The curtain will come down on the European season this weekend when Paris Saint-Germain and Inter face off in what promises to be a thrilling Champions League final. Neither team were among the favourites for the competition back at the beginning of the league phase in September, but after taking differing routes to Saturday's showpiece, both will feel they are deserving of glory in Munich.
After winning just one of their opening five European matches, PSG managed to survive a potential early elimination before plotting their way through a knockout gauntlet that has saw them eliminate three successive Premier League teams in Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal. Luis Enrique's side did so while playing thrilling attacking football, thus hinting at just how much the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar might have been holing them back on the continent.
Inter, meanwhile, are in their second final in three seasons after following up an impressive quarter-final win over Bayern Munich with an epic victory over Barcelona in the semis as they came out on top 7-6 on aggregate over the Catalans. And though the Nerazzurri haven't quite captured the hearts of neutrals in the same way as their opponents on Saturday, there is no doubt that they possess a number of fine individual talents who can light up any stage.
And so ahead of the most anticipated game of the year, GOAL has put together a combined XI from the two teams based on performances over the course of the 2024-25 season…
AFPGK: Gianluigi Donnarumma
Questions have been asked of Gigi Donnarumma since his arrival at PSG from AC Milan in 2021, and the Italian has certainly made his fair share of errors over the course of his time at Parc des Princes. However, there is no question that Luis Enrique's side would not have made it all the way to the Champions League final were it not for their goalkeeper's heroics through the knockout rounds.
Donnarumma's penalty-saving expertise was on full show against Liverpool in the last 16 before he pulled off a couple of magnificent saves at Villa Park in the quarter-finals as Aston Villa threatened to come all the way back from being 5-1 down on aggregate with a spirited second-leg fightback. Donnarumma saved his best for the semi-finals, however, as he pulled off four sublime stops over the two games against Arsenal to help secure a spot in Saturday's showpiece.
This is not to say Yann Sommer hasn't contributed to Inter's journey to Munich, with his own semi-final performance against Barcelona already the stuff of San Siro legend, but Donnarumma's consistently brilliant displays give him the edge here.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportRB: Achraf Hakimi
The best right-back in world football right now, Achraf Hakimi has continued to show just why so few of his peers can touch him with his performances over the course of the campaign. The Morocco international is able to match his defensive responsibilities with incisive attacking ability, marking him out as the ideal modern full-back.
His season tally of eight goals and 14 assists across all competitions includes strikes in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals of this Champions League run, and it remains one of the great mysteries as to why Real Madrid allowed him to leave the Spanish capital just under five years ago.
Despite opting for Hakimi here, Denzel Dumfries fans need not worry – there's more on him to come later…
Getty Images SportCB: Willian Pacho
One of the less-heralded names in PSG's squad, Willian Pacho has announced himself to a worldwide audience with his performances for the French champions during his debut season at Parc des Prince. Signed from Eintracht Frankfurt for £33.5 million ($45m) last summer, Pacho immediately forced his way into Luis Enrique's starting line up and has barely missed a match ever since.
As the inexperienced partner alongside Marquinhos at the heart of PSG's backline, the Ecuador international is generally targeted by opposition managers, but he has impressively held his own up against some of Europe's most feared strikers, with his aerial ability and composure both at an elite level. As such, he beats out his centre-back partner to a spot in our XI.
Getty ImagesCB: Alessandro Bastoni
Whether it is due to the fact that he hasn't made a huge impact on international tournaments with Italy, or because Inter continue to be overlooked as a European power by pundits and fans alike, but Alessandro Bastoni rarely gets brought up as being one of the world's best centre-backs despite his consistent excellence for the Nerazzurri.
An elegant defender who has the ability to pick out outrageous passes with his cultured left foot, the 26-year-old is key to Simone Inzaghi's favoured 3-5-2 formation functioning at San Siro, and perhaps a strong display in Munich on Saturday will see Bastoni finally earn the respect he deserves. For now, he will have to make do with a spot in our combined team after beating out club-mate and semi-final hero Francesco Acerbi for a spot.
