PARIS Saint-Germain (PSG) won their maiden UEFA Champions League title in emphatic fashion, dismantling Inter Milan 5-0 in the final held at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Saturday, May 31.
This victory also sets a record for the largest winning margin in a Champions League final dating back to 1956.
Nineteen-year-old Désiré Doué Doué set up Achraf Hakimi for the opening goal in the 12th minute, then doubled the lead with a deflected shot in the 20th minute.
He added his second goal in the 63rd minute, which further solidified PSG’s dominance.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and 19-year-old substitute Senny Mayulu completed the rout with goals in the 73rd and 87th minutes, respectively.
This means that the club, under manager Luis Enrique, completed a remarkable treble, having already secured the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles this season.
The French team played the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, City in this year’s run.
Enrique’s tactical ability had been hailed to have made the big difference for PSG, who had previously fallen short in their quest for European glory, including a loss to Bayern Munich in the 2020 final.
The club’s Qatari owner, known for its massive investment in building a world-class squad that once included stars like Lionel Messi and Neymar, also faced a setback this summer when their talisman, Kylian Mbappé, departed the team.
The final also marked a milestone for French football, as PSG became only the second French club to win the Champions League, following Marseille’s victory in 1993.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M