By Samindra Kunti in Munich
June 1 – A full 14 years since their Qatari takeover, Paris Saint-Germain, spearheaded by teenager Désiré Doué, won the Champions League for the first time following a record-breaking 5-0 win against Inter Milan in the final.
At last, PSG and its owners Qatar Sports Investments have the trophy they have coveted for more than a decade, a prize that has proved so elusive in the past.
On Saturday their triumph was never in doubt. With a superlative performance, they swept past Inter Milan to register a record win in a Champions League final. Never had a team won the final by more than four goals. In 1994, AC Milan were the last club to achieve a four-goal margin in the final against FC Barcelona.
This was PSG’s second Champions League final. In 2011, the Qataris were the second nation state to invest in a European club, pumping hundreds of millions into the capital club to build a team that has dominated Ligue 1, but often struggled in Europe’s premier club competition.
Five years ago the Parisians were defeated by Bayern Munich 1-0, a result that left the club’s chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi livid. The Qatari, who is also the chairman of the European Club Association and Bein Media Group, had said in Munich that he had his nerves under control, a reflection of PSG’s confidence that they’d come out on top this time. And how.
It was a masterclass from Paris, led by Doué on the right wing and orchestrated by Vitinha in midfield. With his brace, the teenager with the number 14 became an immediate superstar, often playing outrageous football in the image of his team.
Following a frenzied start, Doué received the ball in the inside-left channel from Vitinha and rolled it to the unmarked Achraf Hakimi who obliged from close range in the 11th minute, 1-0. Hakimi simply could not miss as Federico Di Marco played everyone onside. The goal had been coming, but even so it was a collective masterpiece. Doué kept his composure to square an assist to the full back, who muted his celebrations against his former club.
If Doué had been the provider, his moment in the spotlight was yet to come. By the 20th minute, Inter were two down. Paris broke on the counter with Ousmane Dembele racing down the left, switching play to the right where Doué controlled the ball and let fly an attempt that deflected off Di Marco and into the net. The Parisians were in total control. Could Inter, who proved their mettle against FC Barcelona, come back from this?
Doué provided the answer. Just after the hour mark, Dembele released Vitinha with a black flick into space, who sent Doué on his way in the right channel. Meeting it first time, he slotted the ball into the bottom corner. It was a goal beautiful in its simplicity. It was all too easy for PSG.
They had been relentless – precise in their passing and operating at bottleneck speed. They ran rings around Inter’s defence. The youngsters of PSG made Inter simply look what they were – old.
Inter were hopeless with a midfield that was too easy to play through. Too often they lost possession in enemy territory and within seconds PSG had the ball at the other end of the pitch.
No longer a competitive final, PSG turned the match into a victory parade. In the 73rd minute, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, guilty of profligacy all evening, joined the party, slamming a fourth into the net. It was the signal for Inter Milan’s fans to begin exiting the stadium.
The final act was for another teenager. Following a one-two with Bradley Barcola, substitute Senny Mayulu lashed a shot into the top left from a tight angle to wrap up the victory, 5-0.
The final had been a match too far for an aging Inter team. They could not match the intensity of PSG, on or off the ball. With the win, Luis Enrique’s team completed a treble and, at last, can the club have a Champions League title. This looks like just the beginning for this young and exuberant team.
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