The Champions League final is to take place in Budapest.
PSG and Arsenal to Contest Champions League Final
Paris Saint-Germain will face Arsenal in the Champions League final. Under the leadership of Luis Enrique, PSG have grown into a cohesive unit. Very good coaching is also the basis for Arsenal’s upswing. Enrique’s compatriot Mikel Arteta has led the club up step by step over six years.
Arsenal have won their first league title since the Invincibles in 2004. They have never won the European Cup, reaching the final only once, in 2006. Not a good record for a club that consistently ranks among the top 10 highest-earning in the world.
Arsenal’s Organised Approach
Arteta does not possess immense individual quality in his squad; he has no Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp or Freddie Ljungberg that 2006 team had. The strength of this team is their extremely high degree of organisation, which provides stability. In 14 Champions League matches, they have conceded only six goals and not lost a single game.
Arsenal are the counterpart to Bayern, who conceded 20 goals. Vincent Kompany’s gameplan is a mixture of maximum intensity and the retro tool of man-marking. PSG were surprised by this for one half, in the group stage back in November.
PSG’s Cohesive Unit
PSG were surprised by Bayern’s intensity for one half in the group stage. In the semi-final second leg, however, PSG exploited the space that inevitably opens up with this form of defence for a quick goal. Afterwards, Enrique’s team controlled the game from the defensive line. Solid defensive work never goes out of style.
PSG would be only the second club after Real Madrid to defend the European title since the tournament was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992.
Arsenal were prepared for Bayern’s unorthodox style, beating them 3-1 in the group stage. The right teams are in the final.