Champions League final: Paris vs Inter – meet the teams

Two teams are still standing on the road to Munich as we head towards the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final, which takes place on Saturday 31 May.

We profile the remaining contenders – Inter and Paris.

UEFA coefficient rankings are correct as of the end of 7 May.

Inter (ITA)

League phase: W6 D1 L1 F11 A1 (4th place)
Round of 16: Feyenoord 4-1 agg (2-0 a, 2-1 h)
Quarter-finals: Bayern 4-3 agg (2-1 a, 2-2 h)
Semi-final: Barcelona 7-6 agg (3-3a, 4-3h)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 5
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Denzel Dumfries (80)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1963/64, 1964/65, 2009/10)
Last season: Round of 16 (2-2 agg vs Atlético de Madrid, 2-3 pens)

UEFA.com Inter reporter Paolo Menicucci: Simone Inzaghi's Inter have established themselves among the European elite in recent years and confirmed their solidity by conceding only one goal in eight league phase games before managing yet another clean sheet in the round of 16 first-leg win at Feyenoord, going on to progress 4-1 on aggregate.

The 3-5-2 system with Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco pushing on down the flanks is well-oiled, much like the attacking partnership between Marcus Thuram and captain Lautaro Martínez.

Even though the goals did not flow in the league phase (four 1-0 victories) – a contrast to Serie A where the Nerazzurri scored 55 in their first 21 games – they saw off Feyenoord in clinical fashion before a fantastic performance at Bayern earned a 2-1 first-leg win in the first leg of their quarter-final. It was nervy at times, but they just about got over the line with a 2-2 draw at a delirious Stadio San Siro to finish the job.

We saw a new side to Inter in the thrilling 7-6 aggregate win against Barcelona, where they finally displayed defensive frailties but made up for it with some devastating attacking play. Bring on the final!

Why can they win the competition?
Inter have been playing with the same system for several years under Inzaghi now and everything seems established regardless of who is in the starting XI. Thuram has grown, particularly since joining Inter, and seems the perfect partner for Martínez in attack. After reaching the final in 2023, Inzaghi's men have everything it takes to go all the way this term.

How they play
Inter play a 3-5-2 system with a solid back three in front of the experienced Yann Sommer, limiting opponents to only two goals in their first ten games in the competition. Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco push hard on the respective flanks and Hakan Çalhanoğlu dictates the tempo from his deep-lying playmaker role. Nicolò Barella is another leader in the midfield while Henrikh Mkhitaryan brings plenty of international experience. Martínez and Thuram complement each other perfectly in attack.

Coach: Simone Inzaghi
A Serie A and three-time Coppa Italia winner as a player with Lazio, the 49-year-old also brought a domestic cup to Rome as a coach. He took over from Antonio Conte at Inter in summer 2021, winning the domestic Super Cup and Coppa Italia in his first campaign at the helm. He retained both those trophies and reached the Champions League final in 2022/23, and added a Serie A title last season.

Key player: Lautaro Martínez
The Argentina forward finished as Serie A top scorer in 2023/24 for the first time with 24 goals in 33 appearances in the division, the third campaign in a row he had registered more than 20. Best known for his relentless work rate, intelligent positioning and ice-cool finishing, Martínez continues to lead from the front as captain of the Nerazzurri.

Did you know?
Inter's 7-6 aggregate victory over Barcelona in the semi-finals equalled the record for most goals in Champions League knockout tie (Liverpool 7-6 Roma in the 2017/18 semi-finals, and Bayern 12-1 Sporting CP, in the 2008/09 round of 16).

Paris (FRA)

League phase: W4 D1 L3 F14 A9 (15th place)
Knockout phase play-off: Brest 10-0 agg (3-0 a, 7-0 h)
Round of 16: Liverpool 1-1 agg (aet, 4-1 on penalties) (0-1 h, 1-0 a)
Quarter-finals: Aston Villa 5-4 agg (3-1 h, 2-3 a)
Semi-final: Arsenal 3-1 agg (1-0 a, 2-1 h)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 6
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Achraf Hakimi (113)
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (2019/20)
Last season: Semi-finals (0-2 agg vs Dortmund)

UEFA.com Paris reporter Alex Clementson: Paris struggled to hit top gear in the league phase. While wins over Girona and Salzburg boosted their challenge, their campaign became fraught with jeopardy after a dramatic late defeat at home to Atleti on Matchday 4. Luis Enrique's men have no problem fashioning chances, but converting them was their downfall until a remarkable comeback against Manchester City.

After a commanding dismantling of domestic rivals Brest in the knockout phase play-offs, that same lack of clinical edge was on show again as Paris missed numerous chances in a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their round of 16 tie with Liverpool. But they dug deep to recover at Anfield, winning 1-0 on the night before keeping their cool to triumph on penalties, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma the hero with two great saves.

The Italian goalkeeper played a vital role again as they progressed to the semi-finals, making a number of key saves in the 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa that followed a 3-1 first-leg victory at Parc des Princes. An early Ousmane Dembélé strike was enough to see off Arsenal in the first leg of their final four tie in London, and Paris completed the job back at home.

Why they can win the competition
Because they are arguably the form team in Europe right now. Luis Enrique's men have cantered to the Ligue 1 title, and have been equally irrepressible on the continent since their 3-0 drubbing of Salzburg on Matchday 6. Their gargantuan two-legged tie with Liverpool in the last 16 had it all, but their victory was ultimately vindicated. The Parisians left Anfield that night empowered and emboldened by the conviction that they might finally have found the right formula to win the Champions League. Subsequent successes against Aston Villa and Arsenal underlined that belief.

How they play
Fashioning chances has never been a problem for Paris, but converting them had previously been their downfall. With that seemingly remedied, Luis Enrique has succeeded in devising one of Europe's most multi-faceted sides. Marrying metronomic midfielders capable of recycling possession and probing for space against stoic opposition structures, the Parisians also boast the athleticism and explosivity that the modern game demands. Somewhat overlooked, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho and Nuno Mendes provide the defensive foundations for those further forward to flourish.

Coach: Luis Enrique
The former Barcelona and Real Madrid player won nine trophies during a hugely successful three-year spell in charge of the Blaugrana, including two La Liga crowns and the 2014/15 Champions League. He led Spain to the EURO 2020 semi-finals and the 2021 Nations League final before succeeding Christophe Galtier at Paris in 2023, winning a domestic double and making it to the Champions League semi-finals in his first campaign, and retaining the Ligue 1 crown already this season.

Key player: Vitinha
The crucial ingredient that makes Paris tick, Vitinha is an elegant creative midfielder who also has a knack for popping up with important goals, as shown by a strike in each leg of the 6-4 aggregate win against Barcelona in last season's quarter-finals. He was included in the 2023/24 Champions League Team of the Season and will doubtless play a crucial role for Paris in the final.

Did you know?
Paris are the third French team to reach the final of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League more than once after Reims (1955/56, 1958/59) and Marseille (1990/91, 1992/93).