Can Khvicha Kvaratskhelia lead PSG to overcome Inter's experience in the Saturday's Champions League final?
Hello! The countdown continues for Saturday's UEFA Champions League final, one that could be a dynamic showcase of stylistic contracts. I'm Pardeep Cattry with a midweek check-in as the big game rapidly approaches.
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⚽ The Forward Line🇫🇷 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia returns for Paris Saint-GermainKhvicha Kvaratskhelia resumed training with Paris Saint-Germain's first team on Wednesday, just in time for Saturday's Champions League final.
The Georgia international missed the weekend's Coupe de France final, in which PSG beat Reims 3-0, after being withdrawn from the starting lineup and replaced by Desire Doue. His return to training, though, quells questions about his availability for Saturday's match at Munich's Allianz Arena, where he is expected to string together a statement-making performance as he and his team target their first Champions League title.
PSG's transformation into Europe's most entertaining team is easily the story of the season and while manager Luis Enrique laid the groundwork before Kvaratskhelia's January arrival, the winger has been crucial in ensuring that the unique tactical style would actually work. He has five goals and six assists across all competitions this season, including an assist to Ousmane Dembele's goal four minutes into their semifinal tie against Arsenal. That goal was quintessentially new-look PSG – their pressing system really emphasizes play on the flanks and highlights players who overwhelm the opposition's wingbacks, which Kvaratskhelia did by getting the better of Arsenal's Jurien Timber. He then had an easy pass to Dembele, who finished from close range.
Kvaratskhelia is crucial in the build-up, with or without assists, a testament to a PSG team that is now defined by an effective style of play rather than the individual brilliance of star players. That was notably on display in that first leg against Arsenal, who may pose a somewhat similar tactical challenge for PSG that Inter might as a defense-minded team. That semifinal tie posed the question of if PSG's unique offensive approach can combat even the most sturdy defenses and as Thierry Henry noted on that day, the answer was yes.
- Henry: "When you go under pressure against a team like Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning, which I understand, you gotta be on point, and you see the first mistake for me is Bukayo Saka and how he went to put the pressure, which doesn't happen often. As you're going to see at the beginning of the game, Paris Saint-Germain, they wanted to be on the front foot and put pressure. You can see [Martin] Odegaard is asking for everybody to come so they are coming. You won't see it now, but Timber is going to come now with Kvaratskhelia. What you do is you bend your run to make sure that [Nuno] Mendes is on the play there. You can't go and put pressure straight because as a lefty, he will have the possibility to pass that ball inside. … That's the first mistake. You cannot allow them to play inside. Bend your run, show him the line. Don't show him inside."
Enrique is expected to have his whole attacking rotation available to him on Saturday, a group that includes Doue, Bradley Barcola and Dembele, the latter of whom could be in the mix for the Ballon d'Or with a win in Munich.
It all comes down to thisWhile Paris Saint-Germain play the part of surprise contender, Inter prepare for the Champions League as the ones with experience on their side. The club's last Champions League title may have come 15 years ago but the group that will take part in Saturday's final is not too dissimilar from the one that played in the final two years ago, when they lost 1-0 to Manchester City at Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
In addition to their Serie A win last season, the two trips to the Champions League final are the crowning achievements of Simone Inzaghi's four year spell in charge of Inter. He transformed the team from a mere Champions League participant to one of the competition's most successful teams, leading them to their first knockout game in a decade during his first season and nearly taking them all the way to the top once. This season has not always been kind to Inter, who could end the season trophyless with a loss in Munich thanks to some mismanagement, but they have also stayed true to their strengths over the course of the season.
Against PSG on Saturday, that just may be the key to their success – and potentially the best way to bid farewell to Inzaghi. Even as the manager prepares for Inter's second Champions League final in three years, there is plenty of chatter that he will exit the club after this season, potentially to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli. The match possibly offers one final chance to watch Inzaghi's version of Inter, which offers a real contrast to Enrique's PSG.
As skilled as PSG have been in attack, Inter booked a spot in the final because they are one of Europe's strongest defensive teams. They have conceded just 11 goals in 14 games, a number that goes down to five goals in 12 games if you remove the dramatic anomaly that was their 7-6 aggregate win against Barcelona in the semifinals. Even that tie offered a showcase of defensive sharpness – goalkeeper Yann Sommer made 14 saves over two legs against Barcelona, continuing to build a strong case as the best shotstopper in this season's edition of the Champions League.
Inter love their wingers as much as PSG do, though, with Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco playing a sizable role in their attack this season. Both were impactful against Barcelona but if one player stood out during that semifinal tie, it was Dumfries – he notched two goals and three assists over two games, becoming only the second player in Champions League history to put up five goal contributions in a semifinal tie. The Netherlands international, along with Inter's other attackers like Lautaro Martinez, are emblematic of the evolution of Inzaghi's Inter, and could be a crucial figure on Saturday because of it.
🔗 Top Stories⭐ Tom Cruise joins David Beckham: Actor Tom Cruise will join David Beckham for Saturday's edition of "Beckham and Friends Live," an alternative live broadcast from Munich's Allianz Arena for the Champions League final.
🔵⚫ Inter go for gold: Inter will wear gold jerseys in Saturday's Champions League final, opting for their third kits over their white away strip.
🏆 Conference League final preview: Here's what you need to know as Chelsea take on Real Betis in Wroclaw, Poland in the UEFA Conference League final.
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🇮🇹 Zaniolo denial: Fiorentina's Nicolo Zaniolo denied an allegation that he assaulted two players on Roma's youth team while intoxicated after a match on Monday.
💰 The Back Line💵 Best bets- UEFA Conference League final: Real Betis vs. Chelsea, Wednesday, 3 p.m.💰 THE PICK: Cole Palmer to score (+170) – Recent form may not favor Cole Palmer, who has just one goal in his last 23 games and none in his last four but the occasion just might. This will be the final game of Chelsea's first season under manager Enzo Maresca, an era that has so far been defined by the Blues' youth and a bet that this group will turn into contenders in the not-too-distant future. Despite their imperfections, they solved an important piece of that puzzle with a fourth place finish in the Premier League, which ensures them a spot in next season's Champions League. Lifting the UEFA Conference League title in Wroclaw on Wednesday would mark a very important next step in achieving the ultimate end goal. It's a moment that is well-suited for someone like Palmer, who is poised to be the star of this new-look Chelsea, making it an opportune time for him to win his first trophy since his breakout season.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.
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