Paris Saint-Germain ended its long quest for European glory with a commanding 5-0 triumph over Inter Milan in Munich, capturing its first-ever Champions League title.
PSG’s win came in record-breaking fashion, as no team had ever won a European Cup final by more than a four-goal margin.
The French champion started strong, securing an early lead when Achraf Hakimi scored in the 12th minute against his former club. Just seven minutes later, 19-year-old Desire Doue doubled the lead with a composed finish before adding another goal midway through the second half. This feat made him the youngest player since Benfica’s Eusebio in 1962 to score twice in a Champions League final.
PSG’s high-intensity pressing and fluid attacking style overwhelmed Inter, who struggled to produce clear-cut chances despite occasional threats from set pieces. While Gianluigi Donnarumma remained largely untroubled in goal, PSG maintained control throughout the match, reports Xinhua.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia contributed a fourth goal in the 73rd minute following a slick counterattack, and substitute Senny Mayulu completed the rout with four minutes to go.
It was a night of firsts and records: not only did PSG achieve the highest winning margin in a Champions League final, but also celebrated its first title after over a decade of pursuing European success. The victory marked only the second time a French club has lifted the European Cup, following Marseille’s triumph in 1993, coincidentally also in Munich and also against an Italian team.
“It means everything! The fans are the main reason we wanted to win this trophy. It’s our dream, it’s everyone’s dream. The team is very good, and the result is not by magic,” said PSG midfielder Vitinha.
Coach Luis Enrique, who won the treble with Barcelona in 2015, now joined Pep Guardiola as one of only two managers to achieve that feat with two different clubs.
“Since day one I said I wanted to win important trophies, and Paris never won the Champions League. We did it for the first time. It’s a great feeling to make many people happy,” Enrique said.
While Inter, who fielded a familiar starting lineup, struggled to find a breakthrough, PSG’s youthful and energetic squad executed their game plan with precision, leaving no doubt about whom the deserving champion is.
Two dead and 500 arrested in France during PSG win celebrations
More than 500 people were arrested by police during the Champions League final celebrations in France, and two people were reported dead and 192 injured, the interior ministry said as further festivities were planned on Sunday.
Wild celebrations erupted across the French capital and beyond on Saturday night after Paris St Germain crushed Italian opponents Inter Milan to win the Champions League for the first time.
The interior ministry’s provisional assessment on Sunday morning was that 559 people had been arrested, including 491 in Paris, which led to 320 people being placed in police custody, 254 of them in Paris.
There was one fatal accident when a young man in his twenties died in a collision with a vehicle, police chief Laurent Nunez told reporters, while in the southwestern city of Dax, a 17-year-old died from stab wounds, French media reported.
“A judicial investigation will determine whether or not it (the fatality in Paris) can be linked to the celebrations. At this stage, it appears to be connected to the festivities,” Nunez said.
On the boutique-lined Champs Elysees avenue, bus shelters were smashed and projectiles hurled at riot police, who fired tear gas and water cannon to push back surging crowds as thousands of supporters who descended on the area.
The interior ministry on Sunday reported hundreds of fires, including more than 200 vehicles burned. Some 22 members of the security forces and seven firefighters were harmed. Nunez warned that more skirmishes could occur on Sunday as PSG will parade on the Champs Elysees before celebrating the title with their fans at the Parc des Princes stadium.
“We’re at halftime, so to speak, as this afternoon we have the parade taking place on the Champs Elysees,” Nunez said.
“Only those attending the parade will be allowed on site. A maximum attendance of just over 100,000 people has been set — beyond that, no-one else will be allowed in.
“This evening, there will be a celebration at the Parc des Princes as well. We also expect gatherings around the Place de la Porte de Saint Cloud, and we will respond in the same measured but firm way should there be any attempts to block the ring road, attack law enforcement, or cause further damage.”
Paris had deployed 5,400 officers in anticipation of celebrations following a PSG win, Nunez had said on Friday.