Dominant and clear: PSG wins the Champions League for the first time

Great joy: The Parisians celebrated five goals. IMAGO/Orange Pictures

This was only the second time a French and Italian team had met in the Champions League final – then, just as it is now, in Munich. In 1993, Olympique Marseille beat AC Milan 0-1, becoming France's only Champions League winner to date.

The Parisians, who, as expected, returned established players Donnarumma and Kvaratskhelia to the starting lineup for Safonov and Barcola (both on the bench) after their 3-0 cup final win against Reims , now wanted to follow in OM's footsteps and began, as expected, with great force. They demonstrated tremendous combination skills and pressed together with high intensity. The reward came swiftly: after Vitinha's fine through ball, Doué set up the completely unmarked, slotting-in goal-scorer Hakimi (12'). Out of respect for his former club Inter, the former Dortmund player celebrated with restraint.

Despite the lead, Luis Enrique 's team kept their foot on the gas and practically crushed the overly passive Lombardi. PSG were simply more aggressive and alert. The 2-0 lead was emblematic of this: Inter's long throw-in into the opponent's penalty area flew back in their faces because Paris advanced faster than the Nerazzurri on the break. Finally, at the end of the counterattack, Doué became the youngest player to both assist and score in a Champions League final (19 years, 362 days).

FC Internazionale, who returned to the starting lineup for the 2-0 win against Como (including Pavard replacing Bisseck), only came close from corners. Acerbi (23') and Thuram (37') missed headers to pull one back. PSG remained more dangerous from open play, however, with Dembelé (44') and Kvaratskhelia (45'+2', 45'+3') both having a chance to make it 3-0 before the break.

But that's not all. The second half began just as the first had ended: with Kvaratskhelia missing several chances (46th, 50th). Simone Inzaghi, very agile on the touchline, reacted to his team's performance for the first time in the 54th minute with a double substitution, bringing on Zalewski and Bisseck.

For the German international, his first CL final turned into a nightmare: First, he injured the back of his right thigh without any opponent's intervention just six minutes after being substituted on and had to limp to the bench to watch as Doué used an ice-cold attack against an advancing Northern Italian team to make it 3-0 (63').

Although the match was thus decided, the Parisians continued to stick to their style of play. As a result, they frequently appeared ahead of Sommer as the game progressed. While Barcola missed the target twice (70th, 81st), Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead thanks to an Inter defense that had advanced too far (73rd) and substitute Mayulu (86th). The 5-0 result was a historic one: No team had ever won a Champions League final by a larger margin.