PSG’s Key Player Against Inter Milan in the Champions League Final

The UEFA Champions League final is just a few days away, and anticipation is building as Paris Saint-Germain has the opportunity to win its first title in club history. But who will need to step up against Inter Milan for PSG to hoist the trophy they covet so much?

While supporters look to see how to find Champions League final tickets, the players are busy in training, preparing for what promises to be an electric match. PSG’s starting lineup shouldn’t change too much from what we saw from them in the knockout stage, but Luis Enrique will be counting on one player in particular to have their best match of the year.

Ousmane Dembélé may not be the captain of PSG, the honor belongs to Marquinhos, but the Frenchman is the unquestioned leader of PSG. With 33 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, Dembélé has been one of PSG’s best players and has come up clutch throughout the Champions League. The stage is set for the former FC Barcelona attacker to cement his legacy in the game.

Dembélé will likely start alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and either Désiré Doué or Bradley Barcola in attack. Where they line up on the team sheet is unimportant because of Luis Enrique’s system. Dembélé and the other attackers have the freedom to switch sides and make runs as they see fit. Even Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes join the attack frequently from their fullback position. Dembélé’s job will be to identify the Inter Milan attacker who he can take advantage of, and then exploit them for 90 minutes.

The problem for Inter Milan is that if they send another defender to provide help, that frees up Kvaratskhelia and Doué/Barcola. It’s a problem that Liverpool FC, Arsenal FC, Aston Villa FC, and Manchester City couldn’t solve.

As if a Champions League title wasn’t enough, also up for grabs for Dembélé is the Ballon d’Or. Most sources have the 28-year-old as the favorite to win the Ballon d’Or, or a very close second behind Lamine Yamal. Should Dembélé lead PSG over Inter Milan in the Champions League final and have a memorable performance, it would be difficult to imagine him not winning the individual honor.

There’s a lot on the line this Saturday in Munich, both for PSG and Dembélé. It’s the culmination of an incredible season in which PSG rebuilt its squad following the departure of Kylian Mbappé last summer. Everything has been building toward this moment, and now they just have to go out and prove they’re ready to take the next step.