And then there were two. Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal face off in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday, as the Puskás Aréna in Budapest plays host to the biggest game in European club football.
Defending champions PSG will be hoping to become only the second team after Real Madrid to win the rebranded Champions League in consecutive seasons, while Arsenal will be aiming to win the trophy for the first time.
Both PSG and Arsenal come into this game having won their respective league titles, although the latter ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League while the former won their fifth consecutive Ligue 1 title.
The two teams met in the semifinals last season, with PSG winning both games against an injury-hit Arsenal, who had won their league phase game earlier in the season.
Here's everything you need to know about Saturday's final.
How to watch:
The match will be shown on TNT Sports in the UK, CBS / Paramount+ in the U.S., SonyLIV in India and Stan Sport in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.
Key Details:
Kick-off time: Saturday, May 30 at 5 p.m. BST (12 p.m. ET; 9.30 p.m. IST; and 2 a.m. AEST, Sunday).
Venue: Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary.
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)
VAR: Bastian Dankert (Germany)
Injury and Team News:
PSG
Achraf Hakimi, D: thigh, DOUBT
Lucas Chevalier, GK: thigh, OUT
Ousmane Dembélé, F: muscle, DOUBT
Arsenal
Jurriën Timber, D: muscle, DOUBT
Ben White, D: knee, OUT
Talking Points:
Can Arsenal's defence stop PSG's attack?
It's a Champions League final between two teams with very obvious strengths -- Arsenal's defence against PSG's attack.
Mikel Arteta's side have kept nine clean sheets enroute the final (one short of the UCL record) and have conceded a miserly six goals in 14 games in the Champions League this season, including just two in the knockout phase. In contrasts, PSG's free-scoring attack have netted 44 goals this European campaign, one short of the all-time record set by Barcelona in the 1999/2000 campaign.
With the talents of Ousmane Dembélé leading the line, as Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia buzz around him, PSG's frontline can send the best of defences into panic stations, and it will be interesting to see how the likes of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and David Raya in the Arsenal goal cope.
On paper, this may be an obvious contest, but both teams have hidden strengths. PSG's defensive nous in the second leg of their semifinal against Bayern Munich raised eyebrows across Europe -- a fact Luis Enrique was keen to emphasize in his pre-final press conference. Mikel Arteta's side meanwhile, generated 4.54xG to PSG's 2.9 xG (3.49 xG vs 1.97 in open play) across both legs last season, despite having injuries in attack and defence.
Race against time for injured right-backs
While Dembélé is expected to shrug off muscle fatigue and start the final, both PSG and Arsenal face concerns regarding the fitness of their right-backs. It is of particular concern for Arsenal, as Ben White is also ruled out, which means Jurriën Timber might have to be rushed back for the final.
Arteta has used Cristhian Mosquera and MartÃn Zubimendi as makeshift right-backs but when the the opposition is a rampaging Kvaratskhelia, Arsenal might need the one-on-one qualities of Timber. Mosquera's presence would also hamper Bukayo Saka's attacking forays, as he doesn't have the attacking chops Arsenal's first-choice right backs have while overlapping.
In a similar vein, Achraf Hakimi's absence in PSG's second leg against Bayern saw Warren Zaïre-Emery perform admirably as an understudy, although he didn't offer the searing runs forward PSG's Moroccan right-back usually offers (which saw him open the scoring in last season's final). Both Piero Hincapié and Riccardo Calafiori have been guilty of losing runners this season, and Hakimi's presence would have definitely caused them concern. As it stands, the PSG right-back faces a late fitness test, and even if he is available, he might not be match-sharp -- which would also be the case for Timber.
Lack of pressure could work in Arsenal's favour
Arsenal players and staff celebrate after watching Bournemouth's 1-1 draw against Manchester City, confirming their Premier League victory.
In a parallel universe, Arsenal could be entering this final having finished second for the fourth consecutive season in the league, and staring at a potentially trophyless season. The pressure Arteta's side would have faced to bring in silverware against PSG would have been astronomical.
Instead, Arteta has watched his squad bring in the Premier League trophy after a 22-year wait, and the outpouring of emotions and the celebrations since have been cathartic. Arsenal now head into the final with much-coveted silverware in their kitty and while also being considered slight underdogs to favourites PSG.
Yes, Arsenal do want to end their wait for the UEFA Champions League title as well, but given Arteta's steady progression (quarterfinals in 2023-24, semifinals in 2024-25 and finalists this year), one wouldn't bet against this side having future opportunities. The pressure is completely off for Arsenal and that could serve to release the handbrake they've been playing with for the second half of the season.
Arsenal lacked transition efficiency in their semifinal loss to PSG last year -- one that they solved by bringing in Viktor Gyökeres this season. Nonetheless, their set-piece prowess, with Declan Rice and Saka sending in accurate deliveries could prove to be their best route to victory, especially against a PSG side that might not have the physical stature Arsenal possess. They are the only unbeaten side in the competition this season, and Arsenal could cap off a stellar campaign with a league and UCL double.
PSG have a shot at history
PSG coach Luis Enrique says "it seemed impossible" to qualify for a successive Champions League Final when they were drawn against Bayern Munich in the semifinals.
A second consecutive final (their third since 2020) looked a long way away when PSG finished eleventh in the league phase earlier this season. However, Luis Enrique has marshalled his squad brilliantly -- keeping his stars fresh as PSG have romped past the likes of Chelsea (8-2), Liverpool (4-0) while being pushed all the way by AS Monaco (5-4) and Bayern Munich (6-5) en-route the final.
PSG's attacking displays this season have earned them plenty of plaudits, and after they dismantled Internazionale in last season's final with a record 5-0 scoreline, they come into this contest as firm favourites. Luis Enrique might have called Arsenal the world's best team without the ball, but his own side are the world's best team with the ball.
Only Rice, Hincapié and Kai Havertz have the experience of a European final from the Arsenal squad, while PSG's squad have featured in multiple finals, including the FIFA Club World Cup over the last two seasons. They are undoubtedly the fresher side coming into this game, and as history beckons (they could join Real Madrid as the only team to defend their Champions League crown), PSG could mark the beginnings of a dynasty with victory in Budapest.
What do the numbers say?
Only Real Madrid have defended a UEFA Champions League title before, although seven other teams (Benfica, Inter, Ajax (twice), Bayern (twice), Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and AC Milan) defended their European Cup titles. PSG are aiming to join this select group.
Arsenal could win their first European Cup / UEFA Champions League in the club's history, although this would be their third European trophy, having won the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup in 1994 and the Fairs Cup in 1970.
Luis Enrique could join a select group should PSG win - of coaches who have won more than two UCLs: Carlo Ancelotti (five), Bob Paisley, Zinédine Zidane and Pep Guardiola (three each).
Arsenal could become only the fourth English team to do the European Cup / Champions League and domestic league double after Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has made the most goal contributions (10, seven goals and three assists) in this UCL knockout phase.
