PSG vs Arsenal: Champions League final – teams, kick-off, schedule | Football News

WHO: Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal
What: UEFA Champions League final
Where: Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary
When: Saturday, May 30, at 6pm (17:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have full coverage of Al Jazeera Sport from 13:00 GMT before our commentary.

This season’s UEFA Champions League winners will be decided in Budapest on Saturday, when Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) face Arsenal in the final.

Recommended Articles

list of 4 itemsend of series

Although not historically the dominant force in Europe, both sides have proven their worth in recent years and now sit proudly in Europe’s top spot – not as runners-up but as champions of two of the world’s most popular sports.

PSG’s dominance of France’s Ligue 1 has continued, winning 12 of their last 14 league titles, while Arsenal’s second successive English Premier League finish has seen them take action this year.

Al Jazeera Sport brings you everything you need to know about the two sides looking to top their respective seasons with the continent’s biggest club prize.

How did PSG reach the Champions League final?

PSG were forced into the playoffs in this year’s Champions League after finishing 11th out of 36 Champions League groups. They were three places behind Manchester City in the last round of 16, while two defeats – by Barcelona and Bayern Munich – in the eight-game period to start the competition left questions hanging over the defenders.

There was something very exciting about Bayer Leverkusen’s 7-2 defeat in Germany. The playoffs were won in a narrow 5-4 victory against French rivals Monaco, before an 8-2 and 4-0 demolition of Chelsea and Liverpool respectively.

The semi-final provided a strong test, and a repeat of the league games, as the 5-4 team was recorded in the capital of France against Bayern Munich, with a 1-1 draw and sealed the passage of PSG in the second road in Germany.

How did Arsenal reach the Champions League final?

Arsenal are the only team to have gone through an entire Champions League season, so far, without losing. The Gunners stormed into the League Division to top the table with eight wins from eight games – and just four goals conceded while 24 were conceded at the other end.

The knock was a severe test of the Gunners’ reputation. Bayer Leverkusen ran out 3-1 winners in the round of 16, but one goal saw the North Londoners progress to the quarterfinals and semifinals against Sporting Lisbon and Atletico Madrid.

How did PSG fare in the last Champions League?

PSG beat Inter Milan 5-0 at the end of last season to lift the trophy for the first time in their history. Desire Doue scored twice in the victory at the Allianz Arena in Munich to put an end to the doubt that the French club is the winner. After years of trying to land stars, such as Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, it was perhaps fitting that 19-year-old Frenchman Doue stole the headlines when the Parisians’ coveted trophy was sealed.

How did Arsenal fare in the last Champions League?

In order to add more interest to Saturday’s final, Arsenal’s Champions League campaign ended last season in the semi-finals against PSG.

Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal of the first leg at the Emirates Stadium in the fourth minute. Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi did not feature for the home side in the second leg in Paris, while Bukayo Saka scored a consolation for the Gunners in their 3-1 defeat.

When did Arsenal beat PSG?

The Gunners won 2-0 at home in the league stage in the last Champions League. Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka scored the only goals of the game at the Emirates Stadium, both of which came in the first half. PSG dominated the numbers, however, with 65 percent of possession and nine shots to Arsenal’s six players.

How has PSG fared this season?

PSG won their fifth straight Ligue 1 title this season, although Lens ensured that the streak continued to the final two rounds.

It was against their nearest rivals that the Parisians secured the title with a game to spare following their 2-1 win at Lens. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ibrahim Mbaye then scored the goals that made the score impossible. A 2-1 defeat to Paris FC in the derby in the French capital ended the season, but PSG remain six points clear at the top. Paris FC’s defeat was a bit of a disappointment in terms of the cross-city competition, as they were their closest rivals who ended their hopes of back-to-back trebles by knocking out PSG in the French Cup in January.

How has Arsenal fared this season?

Arsenal also had to wait until the last game to become English champions, but, after waiting 22 years to lift the Premier League trophy, the Gunners didn’t care when that time came.

Mikel Arteta’s side were the runaway leaders at one point, but were only held back by Manchester City – who took top spot in the last few weeks, then extended their advantage by drawing at Everton and Bournemouth. This allowed the Gunners to fire on all cylinders again to reclaim their position and title – exacting revenge on City for their League Cup final defeat. Hopes of a treble faded as second-tier Southampton won the quarter-final.

How many times has PSG won the Champions League?

Last season’s Champions League win was PSG’s first in the competition’s history. They reached the final once, but were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich in 2019.

By beating Inter, they became the second French team to lift the trophy, following Marseille’s 1-0 win against AC Milan in 1993.

How many times has Arsenal won the Champions League?

Arsenal have never won the Champions League and this is their second appearance in the final. Their first attempt failed against Barcelona in 2006 as the Catalan giants won 2-1.

English teams have won 15 times in Europe’s biggest club, with Liverpool winning six times and Manchester United winning three times.

Head to head

This will be their eighth meeting, and both have won twice in the past.

Their first meeting came in the old UEFA Cup Winners Cup, which eventually became the Europa League by merging with the UEFA Cup.

Arsenal went 2-1 up in the group after a 1-0 win at home, Kevin Campbell scored, and a 1-1 draw in Paris, where Ian Wright scored for the Gunners and David Ginola scored for PSG.

News about the PSG team

Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele was substituted for PSG’s final game of the season with a calf problem.

The player was one of the few players who did not retire in the Champions League final.

Achraf Hakimi and Lucas Chevalier are both injury doubts, but Nuno Mendes is expected to be shaken up.

PSG predicted the first leg

Safonov; Zaire-Emery, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia

Arsenal news

Jurrien Timber is expected to continue to miss out with a hamstring injury that has ruled him out for eight weeks, while fellow defender Ben White will miss out through injury.

Noni Madueke’s case is not expected to rule him out, but Bukayo Saka should be given some guidance in their battle for a place on the wing.

Arsenal predicted the start

Line; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Lewis-Skelly, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Trossard; Gyokeres