PSG & AC Milan advance to Champions League Final
Again Champions League delivered on Tuesday as Barcelona battled Inter Milan to a instant classic 4-3 win in Extra Time at the San Siro. It was scintillating as Milan scored early in ET – and held on to win a second straight spectacular game after tying 3-3 in Barcelona. Rocky Ray Hudson was on the call – so glad this game was on CBS. If you didn’t you must watch this – Barca vs Inter Highlights. Inter’s GK Yon Sommer stood on his head (saves in GK below). It was honestly one of the best games and certainly the Best Champions League game I have ever watched on TV – Hopefully America Watched! Milan will move into the Champions League final vs PSG who easily handled Arsenal 2-0 at home (Highlights) to win 3-0 in aggregate. Its sets up the Final on May 31 at 3 pm on CBS in Germany.
Inter Milan vs. Barcelona:This match on CBS attracted an average of 1.278 million viewers, setting a U.S. record for the most-watched non-final Champions League match in English. Viewership Increase: The complete UEFA Champions League semi-finals averaged a combined 1.25 million viewers, up 50% from last year and 92% from 2017. CBS Sports touted the match as the most-watched UEFA Champions League semifinal in U.S. history.
Inter Milan vs PSG – Champs League Final May 31st
Man United Tottenham Europa League Final
Chelsea vs Real Bettis (Cordosa)
– 2013 Girls Blue 1 in Challenge Cup
– 2008/2009 Girls Gold in Challenge Cup
– 2014 Boys Gold in Presidents Cup
– 2014 Boys Blue in Challenge Cup
– 2012 Boys Blue in Challenge Cup
TV Games
Wed, May 14
CBS Sports Net, Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Bologna Coppa Italian Final
Sat, May 17
ESPN+? Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City FA Cup Final
Wed, May 21
Paramount Plus Man United vs Tottenham Europa League Final in Balboa, Spain
Wed, May 28
Paramount Plus Chelsea vs Real Bettis (Ricardo) Europa Conference League Final in Poland
Sat, May 31
CBS 3 pm Inter Milan vs PSG UEFA Champions League Final in Munich, Germany
5 pm TBS US Women vs China
Sun, June 1
Fox Sport 1 Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps CC Champions Cup Final
Tues, June 3
TNT, Max, Peacock US Women vs Jamaica
Wed, June 4
2:45 pm Fox Germany vs Portugal – Nations League Semi
Thurs, June 5
2:45 pm Fox Spain vs France– Nations League Semi
Sat, June 7
3:30 pm TNT, Tele US Men vs Turkey
Sun, June 8
2:45 pm Fox Nations League Finals
Tues, June 10
8 pm TNT, Peacock US Men vs Switzerland
June 13 – 29 GOLD CUP MEN
Sun, June 15
6 pm FS1 US Men vs Trinidad Gold Cup
Thur, June 19
6 pm FS1 US Men vs KSA Gold Cup
Sun, June 22
7 pm FS1 US Men vs Haiti Gold Cup
Sun, June 26
TBS, Peacock US Women vs Ireland
Sun, June 29th
TNT, Peacock US Women vs Ireland in Cincy
USMNT midweek viewing guide: Pulisic, Musah in Coppa Italia final
Plus Haji Wright and Coventry look to rebound in the promotion playoffs to reach the Premier League.
Tuesday
- Sunderland vs Coventry, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV: Haji Wright and Coventry lost the first leg 1-2 at home to Sunderland in the Championship promotion playoff semifinal. They’ll have to respond in the away leg to move on to the final at Wembley.
Also in action:
- Modena vs Cesena, 2:30p: Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena visit Modena in Serie B.
- Palermo vs Carrarese, 2:30p: Kristoffer Lund and Palermo host Carrarese in Serie B.
Wednesday
- PSV vs Heracles, 2p on ESPN+ (free trial): Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV host Heracles in the Eredivisie.
- AC Milan vs Bologna, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV (free trial): Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and Milan could lift a trophy here in the Coppa Italia final.
Also in action:
- Utrecht vs Sparta Rotterdam, 2p: Paxten Aaronson and Utrecht host Sparta Rotterdam in the Eredivisie.
- Stockport County vs Leyton Orient, 3p on Paramount+: Charlie Kelman scored both of Orient’s goals in the 2-2 first leg draw in this League One promotion semifinal. Kelman and Orient will need to do better in the away leg if they hope to reach the promotion final with a shot at the Championship next season. Kelman is on loan from Championship club QPR, so he theoretically has a shot at the second tier regardless of the result.
- Aberdeen vs Celtic, 3p on Paramount+: Scottish champions Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic visit Aberdeen in the league.
- CF Montréal vs Columbus Crew, 7:30p: Patrick Schulte and the Crew visit Jalen Neal and Montréal in MLS action,
- DC United vs NYCFC, 7:30p: Matt Freese and NYCFC visit DC in MLS play.
- Orlando City vs Charlotte FC, 7:30p: Tim Ream, Patrick Agyemang, and Charlotte visit Duncan McGuire, Alex Freeman, and the Lions in MLS.
- Philadelphia Union vs LA Galaxy, 7:30p: Quinn Sullivan and the Union host the Galaxy in MLS action.
- Toronto FC vs FC Cincinnati, 7:30p: Miles Robinson, Roman Celentano, Matt Miazga, and Cincy visit Toronto in MLS play.
- Austin FC vs Atlanta United, 8:30p: Brandon Vázquez, Owen Wolff, and Austin host the Five Stripes in MLS.
- Houston Dynamo vs Minnesota United, 8:30p: Jack McGlynn and the Dynamo host Minnesota in MLS action.
- Real Salt Lake vs Portland Timbers, 9:30p: Diego Luna and RSL host the Timbers in MLS play.
- América de Cali vs Huracán, 10p on beIN Sports Connect USA, FuboTV, Sling TV, Fanatiz: Matko Miljevic and Argentine club Huracán are on top of Group C in Copa Sudamericana with 10 points from 4 games played. Based on group results so far, this away trip to América de Cali will be their toughest test; América are second with 6 points.
- San Diego FC vs Colorado Rapids, 10:30p: Zack Steffen, Djordje Mihailovic, Cole Bassett, Reggie Cannon, Sam Vines, and the Rapids pay a visit to Luca de la Torre and San Diego in MLS.
- San Jose Earthquakes vs Inter Miami, 10:30p: Benja Cremaschi and the the Herons visit Niko Tsakiris, Noel Buck, and the Quakes in MLS action.
Thursday
Rayo Vallecano vs Real Betis, 1p on ESPN+: Johnny Cardoso and Betis visit Rayo in La Liga.
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Closing in
With a small handful of matches yet to play, things are getting tight.
By jcksnftsn May 9, 2025, 10:13am PDT 19 Comments / 19 New
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There is much yet to play for rolling into the last few weeks of the season with Champions League qualification for American’s still to be sorted out in four of the top five leagues and clubs grasping for safety in Italy and Germany. Here is what you should keep an eye on this weekend:
Saturday
Holstein Kiel v Freiburg – 9:30a on ESPN+
John Tolkin and Holstien Kiel have won two straight matches to pull within a point of Heidenheim who currently sit in the relegation playoff spot. However, things will get tougher this weekend as Kiel face fourth place Freiburg who are looking to hold off Dortmund’s late charge for the final Champions League qualification position.
Fulham v Everton – 10a on Peacock
Antonee Robinson was back in the starting lineup last weekend after a rare respite the prior week. Robinson went the full 90’ in Fulham’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa and he will pass the 3,000 minute mark assuming he starts again this weekend. Fulham are in eleventh place with three matches remaining.
Lazio v Juventus – Noon on Paramount+
Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus drew with Bologna on Sunday and remain in fourth place, tied on points with both Roma and this weekend’s opponent, Lazio. Five points back of third place Atalanta there are four clubs vying for one remaining spot to qualify for Champions League play next season and every point will count over the last three match days.
Bournemouth v Aston Villa – 12:30p on NBC and Peacock
Tyler Adams and Bournemouth defeated Arsenal 2-1 last Saturday for their first ever win at the Emirates. Adams started and went the full 90’ as Bournemouth gave up the opener in the 34th minute but would score two in the second half for the away win. Bournemouth moved into the top ten with the win and now face an Aston Villa side that are one spot, but seven points, ahead of them in the Premier League table.
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach – 12:30p on ESPN+
Joe Scally and Borussia Monchengladbach played Hoffenheim to a 4-4 draw in a back and forth affair last weekend. Gladbach haven’t won in their past five matches and now face a Bayern Munich side who are celebrating their league title thanks to Bayer Leverkusen’s draw with Freiburg last weekend.
Monaco v Lyon – 3p on beIN Sports
Folarin Balogun received his first league start this year and scored a goal in Monaco’s 3-1 win over Saint-Etienne last weekend as Monaco maintained their one point lead for third place and Champions League qualification. Balogun and Monaco will face Tanner Tessmann and Lyon this weekend who just a few weeks ago looked as though they also had a shot at Champions League play next season but defeats in two of their past three matches have them in seventh place and outside of European qualification altogether with two matches remaining in the Ligue 1 season.
Sunday
Feyenoord v PSV Eindhoven – 8:30a on ESPN+
Richard Ledezma and Malik Tillman started for PSV last weekend as they defeated Fortuna Sittard 4-1. PSV now face third place Feyenoord as they look to gain ground on league leading Ajax who have left the door open just a crack by failing to win in their past two matches. Ajax still hold a four point lead for the league title with three matches remaining but PSV still have something to play for, at least for the moment. Sergino Dest also made it off the bench last weekend picking up a handful of minutes in his first appearance since March.
Tottenham v Crystal Palace – 9:15a on Peacock
Chris Richards and Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest last Monday with Richards starting and going the full 90’ in the draw. Palace will take on a struggling Tottenham side on Sunday before facing Manchester City in the FA Cup final next weekend.
Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund – 9:30a on ESPN+
Gio Reyna did not make it off the bench last weekend in Dortmund’s 4-0 defeat of Wolfsburg. The win pulled Dortmund within a point of Freiburg for fourth place and a shot at Champions League play next season. On Sunday Dortmund will face second place Leverkusen who drew 2-2 with the aforementioned Freiburg last weekend.
Real Betis v Osasuna – 3p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis went to extra time on Thursday to draw 2-2 with Fiorentina and advance to the Conference League final by defeating the Italian side 4-3 over the two leg semi-final. Betis are also within a point of fifth place Villarreal with the top five qualifying for Champions League. Betis face ninth place Osasuna who are coming off a 4-2 loss to Villareal.
Monday
Venezia v Fiorentina – 12:30p on Paramount+
Gianluca Busio and Venezia drew 1-1 with Torino last Friday to pull within a point of Lecce for safety. Venezia hold a healthy goal differential advantage over Lecce so would secure safety if they are able to make up the remaining point over the final three weeks of the season. They start by facing Fiorentina on Monday who will have some added rest coming off their grueling defeat to Real Betis in the Conference League semi-final on Thursday.
NWSL Week 8 Preview: Buckle Up for More Chaos
Last weekend delivered peak NWSL chaos—stoppage-time stunners, breakout rookie moments, and a history-making sister-to-sister goal. Topping that energy won’t be easy, but if there’s one thing this league guarantees, it’s that every weekend there’s potential for more fun. Here’s what to expect in Week 8!
Saturday, May 10
Chicago Stars FC vs. Washington Spirit – 12:50 PM ET
How to watch: ABC, ESPN+
Chicago held Gotham scoreless last week behind Alyssa Naeher’s brilliance, giving the veteran goalkeeper her 50th career regular season shutout. They’ll be hoping to repeat that performance against the Washington Spirit, one of the most dangerous teams in the league. Washington arrives off a wild loss to Angel City, with Esme Morgan netting a brace, Gift Monday grabbing a goal as well, and Croix Bethune seeing more game time. Expect this one to be tight and physical, with Hatch, Leicy Santos, and Morgan all dangerous in the final third.
North Carolina Courage vs. Orlando Pride – 7:30 PM ET
How to watch: ION
Previously winless before Week 6, North Carolina is now coming off back-to-back wins, thanks to game-winners from Ashley Sanchez in both games and a milestone shutout for Casey Murphy in the most recent. With Kaleigh Kurtz’s ironwoman streak still alive, Denise O’Sullivan anchoring the midfield, and Ryan Williams getting involved in the offense, the Courage are starting to hit their stride. Orlando will look to bounce back after their first road loss of the year. Marta and Barbra Banda remain the heartbeat of the Pride’s attack despite not having scored in recent games, and they lead the league in goals after the 75th minute—so don’t turn the game off early .
San Diego Wave FC vs. Portland Thorns FC – 10:00 PM ET
How to watch: ION
Three wins in a row have San Diego climbing fast, and rookie Trinity Armstrong’s stoppage-time winner last weekend only added to the momentum. With 11 different goal scorers and Kailen Sheridan in top form, the Wave have all the answers. Portland, fresh off a 1–0 win over the reigning champs, continues to lean on young contributors like Jayden Perry and Reilyn Turner. Jessie Fleming opened her NWSL account via PK the week prior—expect more set-piece danger here in a clash between two of the league’s most balanced rosters.
Sunday, May 11
Kansas City Current vs. Bay FC – 12:50 PM ET
Despite suffering two straight losses, Kansas City remains atop the table thanks to early-season dominance and the fewest yellow cards in the league. Temwa Chawinga is still searching for her next goal, while Debinha and LaBonta pose constant threats. Bay FC enters with Jordan Silkowitz fresh off a PK save and rookie Taylor Huff quietly logging every minute this season. With both teams among the league leaders in shots and corners, expect end-to-end action—and maybe a goal-of-the-week contender.
Seattle Reign FC vs. Houston Dash – 8:00 PM ET
How to watch: NWSL+, Paramount+, Golazo
Seattle handed Kansas City its first scoreless match of 2025 last week behind Lynn Biyendolo’s first Reign goal and clutch saves from Claudia Dickey and return home this weekend to welcome the Dash. Houston experienced defeat last weekend against Racing and before that, a gutsy win over Utah. They now turn to Jane Campbell—who just hit 40 career clean sheets—and sophomore Avery Patterson to keep things on track. With both sides ambitious to make up for a poor start to the season, this one could be a statement win in the making.
5 Reasons to Watch Chicago Stars vs. Washington Spirit
Champions League
Champions League final: Inter or PSG? Our experts make their picks
Inter Milan, Barcelona write new chapter in UCL folklore
Arsenal can’t shake nearly-men tag as PSG’s collective wins out
Man United reach Europa League final, but hardly look up to the task
US
U.S. duo Balogun, Dike net 1st goals since injuries
World
What’s at stake across the top leagues: Titles, cup finals, UCL, relegation
Alonso to leave Leverkusen, Madrid beckons
Bellingham ruled last season’s Clásicos. Can he save Madrid’s title hopes vs. Barça?
Memorable Classico’s
Clásico kits: Barcelona, Real Madrid’s all-time best, worst jerseys
Ancelotti’s Real Madrid limbo explained: Why he could leave, and what comes next
Why Lamine Yamal is already better than Messi in some ways, but still has room to improve
EPL
Liverpool’s Salah named Footballer of the Year
Pep: This season ‘most difficult’ of my career
Arteta warns fans: Finding striker will be tough
Liverpool boss Slot ‘disappointed’ by TAA exit
Arsenal Keep or Dump: What must Arteta change this summer in order to win league?
‘Annoyed’ Arteta says best team in UCL ‘are out’
How Liverpool move on from Alexander-Arnold, as Real Madrid move nears
GOALKEEPING
Somner Ruled The Champions League Semis for Inter Milan
Great Saves Gigi for PSG
USL Jägermeister Cup Save of the Round – Round 1
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 8/9
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 7
Goal Kick Technique
How to Throw the Ball Properly
Reffing
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Champions League final: Inter or PSG? Our experts make their picks
- Multiple contributors
May 8, 2025, 05:00 AM
The 2025 UEFA Champions League final is set: Reigning Italian champions Internazionale will take on French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the finale in Munich.
In a strange quirk, it will the first time in history that the two clubs — both European royalty — will face off in a competitive fixture in what promises to be compelling clash of styles.
PSG secured their spot in the finale after completing a 3-1 aggregate win over Arsenal on Wednesday, in a tie that saw Les Parisiens team ethic come to the fore. Inter, meanwhile, edged Barcelona in what will go down in history as one the great Champions League semifinals.
With all that in mind, ESPN’s team of writers have gazed into their crystal balls to predict which club will be crowned European champions at the Allianz Arena on May 31.
It’s Inter Milan vs. Paris Saint-Germain in the final! How will things play out, and what will be the score?
MARK OGDEN: It’s a really tough call. Two teams chasing a treble, led by experienced, successful coaches in Luis Enrique (PSG) and Simone Inzaghi (Inter), and both sides aiming to overcome recent memories of defeats in the Champions League final — PSG in 2020 and Inter in 2023. It’s also two teams with totally contrasting styles, and they each master their own way of playing.
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So what will it be? The irresistible force of PSG or the immovable object of Inter? The football romantic in me says it will be PSG and their free-flowing attacking style, led by Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué, that will come out on top, but my head says that Inter will have a plan to nullify PSG and that their experience will get them over the line.
Francesco Acerbi‘s stoppage-time equalizer against Barcelona in the semifinal second leg in San Siro might just be a sign that this will be Inter’s year. When a 37-year-old center-back breaks forward to score a center-forward’s goal to save his team — it was Acerbi’s first goal in UEFA competition — you can’t help but think that the stars are aligning for Inter. Inter 2-1 PSG.
GAB MARCOTTI: I kinda expect a pretty tactical final, which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a dull game. Both managers can scheme in different ways to get an edge. On paper, PSG will be fresher because they’re a younger side and because, unlike Inter, they have nothing to play for between now and the final. You’d think Luis Enrique would look to exploit that, but whether he does it by coming out of the gates quickly or later in the game — perhaps after their possession game has tired Inter out — is tough to predict.
Inter boss Inzaghi will feel like he has an edge on set pieces and with his 3-5-2 set-up, which many clubs are unaccustomed to facing. A lot will depend on what the Nerazzurri coach can get out of his midfield and how well they stack up against the trio of João Neves, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz, especially since Hakan Çalhanoglu has been carrying an injury for months.
Beyond that, I imagine this game being decided by X factors such as goalkeeping (we saw Yann Sommer in miracle mode Tuesday night and then on Wednesday, Gianluigi Donnarumma was like “Hold my beer …”) and substitutions. There is so much quality for PSG to call on from the bench — with Warren Zaïre-Emery, whichever forward doesn’t start and, of course, Gonçalo Ramos. But subs are Inzaghi’s thing; few managers in the world spend as much time thinking about them. I can see a low-scoring game. Inter 1-0 PSG.
Leboeuf: PSG deserve to reach the Champions League final
Frank Leboeuf reacts to PSG’s Champions League semifinal victory against Arsenal.
JAMES OLLEY: There was a fearlessness about Inter against Barcelona that will make them dangerous if they can replicate that, especially contrasting with the nervousness PSG showed in the first half of their second leg against Arsenal.
Mark is right in that there are signs this could be Inter’s year, but PSG have the star power to emerge triumphant. Their midfield should prove too strong for Inter to wrestle control of the game away from and PSG have the added benefit of tailoring the next three weeks entirely toward the final, with the Ligue 1 title already wrapped up. I agree with the general consensus here that it will be tight, but I think that man Dembélé will get on the scoresheet and cap a wonderful 2025. Inter 1-2 PSG.
JULIEN LAURENS: Once again, the contrast in style will be huge between the two teams. The youngest team of the competition against the oldest team, the 4-3-3 against the 3-5-2, the intensity against the composure, the 2020 losing finalist against the 2023 losing finalist, the Parisian flair against the Italian tactics: You can’t really do much different than PSG and Inter Milan.
Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).
They have points in common, too, though: two managers, Luis Enrique and Inzaghi, who built these teams and squads, implementing a definite style but also the right mentality. They never give up, play the right way, have absolute faith in their own ability.
There won’t be much in between them in the final. Paris have been the best team in Europe in 2025 and have the best midfield and front three. But Inter have the best defense, while the two most in-form goalkeepers in Europe are Donnarumma and Sommer. So, what will make the difference? Individual talent, special quality, a glimpse of genius. In that regard, PSG have more to offer. Inter 1-2 PSG.
TOM HAMILTON: This is a flip-of-a-coin match. Defending against PSG sometimes must feel like trying to hold back the tide. Against Inter, it must be like swimming in a calm sea, only to suddenly get ended by a rogue wave.
Inter have done their best impression of Lazarus in this season’s Champions League and the sight of Acerbi appearing on the edge of Barcelona’s box to slice home the equalizer, just seconds after Lamine Yamal had hit the post at the other end, will be one of those enduring snapshots of this year’s competition. Inter have such a sturdy structure and they are a team far more than the sum of their parts. PSG have this brilliant midfield which can push and pull a match, with their lethal batch of forwards looking to pounce at any moment.
You have this wonderful matchup of youth against experience, flair against pragmatism and contrasting formations, all played under the guidance of a pair of outstanding managers. In short, this will come down to fine margins and focus. Logic suggests this is PSG’s year, with Dembélé the outstanding player in the tournament, but this Champions League hasn’t gone to script. Inter 3-2 PSG after extra time.
BETH LINDOP: Inter helped to deliver one of the most entertaining semifinals in Champions League history but, since the turn of the year, PSG have been the best team in Europe and I expect them to have too much for Inzaghi’s side in the final.
They’re among a select group of teams to have made Premier League champions Liverpool look ordinary this season, and their performance across the two legs against Arsenal was mature and measured.
PSG’s squad is stacked with talent and Dembélé is in incredible form at the moment, so I think he’ll be decisive in Munich, providing he’s fully recovered from his hamstring injury. The most impressive thing about the French champions, though, is their tenacity and relentlessness under Luis Enrique. PSG have always had a sprinkling of star quality but too often, in the decisive moments, their mentality has let them down. They’re now a proper team, with every player fighting for each other. Inter 1-2 PSG.
Klinsmann hails Yann Sommer’s heroics in Inter’s semifinal win
Jurgen Klinsmann names Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer as his man of the match after coming up with some huge saves to deny Barcelona.
ALEX KIRKLAND: I agree that it will be very tight, and I think that actually (sorry) it might be a just little bit dull. These finals tend to be incredibly tense, nervous occasions, with both teams focused on not taking too many risks and giving up chances. That’s especially true when they’re between two good, evenly matched sides, as is the case here with PSG and Inter. Four of the past five UCL finals ended 1-0, and even in last year’s 2-0 win for Real Madrid over Dortmund, both goals came late. We’ve been spoiled for entertainment in this year’s knockout phase, so I guess it’s OK if the final isn’t quite as much fun.
I’ve really enjoyed watching PSG this season — especially that silky midfield — and I’d like to see them win. But it’s worth underlining that even in last night’s 2-1 win over Arsenal, an all-round good performance, they still gave up 2.91 xG to an Arsenal team with literally no striker. They also had a fairly rudimentary attacking plan of getting the ball out wide to their wingers, and then hoping for the best. Donnarumma will need to be at his best again, and even if he is, I’d back Inter to edge the game. Inter 1-0 PSG.
SAM MARSDEN: I will take Gab’s point about PSG being fresher and spin it in Inter’s favor. It can sometimes help to be distracted. Inter’s battle for the Serie A title with Napoli will not only provide them with that, but it will also keep them in a competitive rhythm going into the final. PSG now have two inconsequential games in Ligue 1 to come — although the Coupe de France final against Reims on May 24 may serve as a nice warmup — and that gap in intense games can sometimes do more harm than good.
That said, it really does feel like a balanced final between teams with different setups. Everyone expected Real Madrid to beat Borussia Dortmund last year. Manchester City were big favorites against Inter in 2023. There is no clear pick this year. Inter’s relatively unique (at this end of the Champions League) two-striker system could cause PSG problems, but the French side have tons of verve in attack, a decent crop of midfielders and an incredible work ethic.
It’s the old cliché, isn’t it? It will probably come down to the small details: a mistake here, a great save there, a red card … Inter have already won ties without seeing much of the ball against Barcelona and Bayern Munich — who Inzaghi says are the best two teams in Europe — so why not against PSG, too? Inter 2-1 PSG.
ROB DAWSON: Inter did incredibly well to survive three Barcelona comebacks to book their place in the final. They showed unbelievable resilience to score so late on in stoppage-time and then again in extra-time.
But amid all the excitement, they also looked vulnerable. They gave up goals in quick succession and lost their organization a number of times in key moments. Plenty of that is down to the way Barcelona play, but it will also give Luis Enrique and Paris Saint-Germain a lot of encouragement.
It’s been a long season, and the final in Munich will depend a lot on which team turns up with the most energy. For one of them, it might end up being one step too far. PSG look more stable. They weathered a lot of Arsenal pressure over the two legs of their semifinal and had the attacking players to make the most of opportunities at the other end. It should be a tight game, and PSG have the tools to edge it if it comes down to fine margins. Inter 0-2 PSG.
Could Manchester United or Tottenham become the lowest-placed team ever to win a European trophy?
By Will Jeanes The Athletic May 9, 2025Updated 10:55 am EDT
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will contest the Europa League final on May 21, with the winner — alongside picking up a coveted piece of silverware — qualifying for next season’s Champions League and all the financial rewards that come with it.
This has happened despite both teams enduring miserable seasons in the Premier League, racking up unwanted records and winless runs unbefitting of European finalists.
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As things stand, Manchester United are 15th and Tottenham are one place below in 16th. Neither team can come higher than 12th and the possibility of finishing just one spot clear of relegation in 17th remains alive for both sides.
The rule change brought in at the start of this campaign which meant no clubs from the Champions League dropped into the Europa League has certainly played a big part in two such teams reaching the final. However, as we shall see, this is still an unusual situation and the victor in the showpiece in Bilbao will join a select group of clubs to have won continental silverware despite having historically poor domestic seasons.
Here, The Athletic talks you through the five lowest-placed league teams to have won a major European trophy.
West Ham United in 2022-23: Finished 14th in the Premier League and won the Europa Conference League
West Ham have the dubious honour of being the lowest-placed team to ever win a major European trophy.
David Moyes’ side triumphed in the second edition of the Europa Conference League (‘Europa’ was dropped from the competition’s name at the start of this season) in 2022-23, despite coming a lowly 14th in the Premier League.
The London club won 14 of their 15 matches in the continental competition and sealed the trophy following a dramatic 2-1 victory over Italian club Fiorentina in the final in Prague, with Jarrod Bowen scoring a 90th-minute winner.
In contrast, they won just 11 of their 38 Premier League matches in 2022-23 — finishing only six points clear of the relegation zone. Their longest winning streak in the league was two games (achieved once) but in the Europa Conference League it was 10 matches.
Bowen strikes late to win the Europa Conference League for West Ham (Photo by Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images)
Moyes’ team won just three away games in the top flight, a figure that they had reached by October 6 in the Europa Conference League. A further juxtaposition was in their overall goal difference in both competitions; it was 26 in the Europa Conference League and -13 in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, their triumph in the Czech capital meant they qualified for the following season’s Europa League. In contrast, Aston Villa, who finished seventh in the Premier League with 21 more points than West Ham, went into the play-off round of the Europa Conference League — UEFA’s tertiary competition.
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Should Manchester United or Tottenham finish in their current league positions, then whoever wins the final will replace West Ham as the lowest-placed league team to win a major European trophy.
Inter in 1993-94: Finished 13th in Serie A and won the UEFA Cup
Inter’s 13th-placed finish in Serie A in 1993-94 is the worst in their history and the second-lowest a team has finished domestically while winning a major European trophy.
A topsy-turvy first half of the season resulted in Osvaldo Bagnoli being dismissed as the Italian club’s manager in early February. Inter were sixth in the table at the time of his departure.
Bagnoli was replaced by Gianpiero Marini, who as a player made more than 350 appearances for the club and won the World Cup with Italy in 1982. The new boss oversaw Inter’s win over German club Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, but the two-legged victory coincided with a collapse in league form that saw Marini’s side lose four Serie A games in a row from March 13 to April 2.
They also lost the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final in this period, going down 3-2 to fellow Italian side Cagliari in Sardinia on March 30.
Inter recovered from this slump to beat Cagliari 3-0 in the second leg on April 12 for a 5-3 aggregate victory, with Dennis Bergkamp, Nicola Berti and Wim Jonk scoring the goals at San Siro that sealed Inter’s place in the final.
Bergkamp’s Inter also beat Ian Crook’s Norwich City on the way to winning the UEFA Cup (Shaun Botterill/ALLSPORT/Getty Images)
The triumph was tempered by the fact that the club had been sucked into a relegation battle in what was a remarkably tight Serie A season.
They got away with it, though. Despite failing to win any of their final three league games, Inter stayed up… by one point. Marini’s side finished 13th out of 18 teams and a sign of how close the season was is that Piacenza, who came 15th and were relegated, were just six points off sixth-placed Napoli who qualified for the UEFA Cup (though it was two points for a win at the time).
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The two-legged UEFA Cup final, which came either side of Inter’s last Serie A game, was against Austria Salzburg (now Red Bull Salzburg). The Italian club won 2-0 on aggregate (0-1 and 1-0) thanks to goals from Berti and Jonk and in doing so secured the club’s fourth major European trophy after their European Cup triumphs in 1964 and 1965 and their UEFA Cup victory in 1991.What You Should Read Next‘I remember marking Bergkamp at the time and he was taking me to areas of the pitch that I had never been before’Norwich’s 540 minutes of European football put the club on the map. Those involved tell the story of their UEFA Cup run in 1993…
Arsenal in 1969-70: Finished 12th in the First Division and won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Since their 12th-place finish in the English top flight in 1969-70, Arsenal have only registered a worse league position twice — 16th in 1974-75 and 17th in 1975-76.
That 1969-70 campaign did, however, see the London club win their first major European trophy. With Bertie Mee — the man second only to Arsene Wenger for the most games as Arsenal manager — in charge, they put the disappointment of third-round exits in both the FA Cup and League Cup behind them to reach the final of the penultimate edition of the Inter-Cites Fairs Cup; defeating Glentoran (Northern Ireland), Sporting CP (Portugal), Rouen (France), Dinamo Bacau (Romania) and Ajax (Netherlands) to get there.
A 10-game winless run in the league from mid-December to late February threatened to derail Arsenal’s season, but a narrow 1-0 aggregate victory over Rouen in the third round of the Fairs Cup (the second leg was on January 13) provided some much-needed mid-winter confidence.
Bob Wilson, Peter Simpson and Frank McLintock savour Arsenal’s Fairs Cup victory (Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Mee’s team proceeded to thrash Dinamo Bacau 9-1 over two legs in the quarter-finals before defeating an Ajax team containing a 22-year-old Johan Cruyff 3-1 on aggregate in the last four. The Dutch club would go on to win the European Cup (today’s Champions League) in each of the following three seasons.
The final, also played over two legs, was against Anderlecht in late April. The Belgian club won the first match at home 3-1, with Ray Kennedy scoring what would prove to be a vital 82nd-minute goal for Arsenal. Back at Highbury, goals from Eddie Kelly, John Radford and Jon Sammels secured a 3-0 win for the English club and a 4-3 victory on aggregate.
Schalke in 1996-97: Finished 12th in the Bundesliga and won the UEFA Cup
The lowest-placed German team to ever win a major European trophy, Schalke triumphed over Inter in the last two-legged UEFA Cup final in May 1997 to secure their only piece of continental silverware.
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An unimpressive Bundesliga season saw the club from Gelsenkirchen collapse from fifth to 12th after winning just one of their last 12 matches, overall barely averaging a goal per game in the league and finishing with a goal difference of -5.
They were much more dependable in Europe, however, defeating Roda (Netherlands), Trabzonspor (Turkey), Club Brugge (Belgium) and both Valencia and Tenerife of Spain to set up the final with Inter.
Schalke’s Jens Lehmann and Mike Buskens sandwich Inter’s Youri Djorkaeff at San Siro (Ben Radford /Allsport/Getty images)
Both teams won 1-0 at home, with Belgian attacking midfielder Marc Wilmots scoring for Schalke and Ivan Zamorano finding the net in the 84th minute for Inter at San Siro in the second leg to force extra time — the first UEFA Cup final to need an additional 30 minutes since 1988.
Neither side could score a golden goal and Schalke won the penalty shootout 4-1, with Ingo Anderbrugge, Olaf Thon, Martin Max and Wilmots all converting for the German club.
Sevilla in 2022-23: Finished 12th in La Liga and won the Europa League
The lowest-placed Spanish side to ever triumph continentally, Sevilla handed Jose Mourinho his first defeat in a major European final when they beat Italian club Roma 4-1 on penalties following a bad-tempered 1-1 draw in Budapest in 2023.
After coming third in their Champions League group and dropping into the Europa League, Sevilla battled their way to the final of UEFA’s secondary competition by winning three of their four two-legged knockout ties by a single goal — including former Tottenham player Erik Lamela’s extra-time winner against Juventus in the semi-finals.
Sevilla’s players celebrate after winning a seventh Europa League (Ferenc Isza/AFP via Getty Images)
Sevilla failed to win any of their last four La Liga games of the season, all of which came after they had secured their place in the Europa League final. As a result, they dropped down to 12th in the Spanish top flight — at the time their lowest finish since coming 20th and being relegated in 1999-00.
However, they more than made up for that by winning the Europa League for a record-extending seventh time (with all of those from 2006 onwards) and qualifying for the following season’s Champions League.
(Top photo of Sevilla’s parade: Cristina Quicler/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal missed chances against PSG – but the issues go beyond needing an elite striker
By Jordan CampbellMay 9, 2025
“Nothing is logical in football,” said Luis Enrique, reflecting on how his Paris Saint-Germain side had survived a precarious league phase and an early Arsenal onslaught in a semi-final second leg in Paris to make this season’s Champions League final.
It was a sentiment also expressed by his counterpart Mikel Arteta, who spoke of tears in the away dressing room and his mix of pride, upset and annoyance at the 3-1 aggregate loss.
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Arteta believed the probabilities had somehow evaded the natural end-result by progressing the French champions rather than his Premier League team. Luis Enrique disagreed. Just because Arsenal were able to play in the way they wanted, he argued, did not mean they were superior.
But Arsenal created seven big chances (which Opta defines as “a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score”) across the two games against PSG, three while being beaten 1-0 in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium and four in the Parc des Princes return, outperformed PSG on expected goals (xG) in both matches by a margin of 1.7-1.2 and 3.0-1.7 and dominated territory.
The tides of a two-legged tie contain more nuance than numbers can capture, but they reinforced the sense that Arsenal had delivered part of the performance required to overturn that single-goal deficit from the home leg. The only things missing were the finishes.What You Should Read NextPSG 2 Arsenal 1 (agg: 3-1): Decisive Donnarumma, worthy finalists, Arteta’s set-piece problemParis Saint-Germain saw off Arsenal to book a date with Inter in the Champions League final – The Athletic analyses the action
“When you analyse both games, who has been the best player? The MVP has been the same player — the goalkeeper (PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma),” Arteta said.
“The Champions League is decided in the boxes and it’s won the game for them because obviously today after 20 minutes, and what happened in London as well, the result should have been very different.”
It is rare for Arteta to accept that Arsenal did not do enough to win a game. Based on the logic of statistics, he sees his team dominate most phases of most matches and believes falling on the wrong side of fine margins is what is keeping them at the gates of major honours.
Luis Enrique may believe nothing is logical in football but it was surely obvious to him that the difference between the two teams was the superior end-product of PSG’s players.
Arsenal lack a killer striker, a lesson they were taught by Newcastle United and their front man Alexander Isak in the Carabao Cup semi-finals earlier this season. But they also lack end-product on the wing and in midfield, too, a lesson they were taught by PSG.
Does Arteta recognise that second lesson? Given he believes no team has been better than his in the 2024-25 Champions League and that this setup and personnel delivered a performance worthy of beating PSG, can he diagnose where they are still lacking when his assessment suggests such limited room for improvement?
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In the wake of the limp defeat against Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage last season, there was an acceptance that Arsenal, even with Kai Havertz up front, lacked an edge in attack at the top level.
Yet they did not then purchase a striker, wide player or creative midfielder last summer. Arteta instead chose to spend heavily on a left-back in Riccardo Calafiori and a duelling midfielder in Mikel Merino. Merino and Havertz, who was signed the summer before, were both brought in to solve the left No 8 problem but neither looked like the right fit there once they arrived and only improved after moving to a striking position by sheer happenstance.
They can be seen as a misdiagnosis by Arteta, who now appears to have settled on Declan Rice as that left eight, a player initially brought in as a holding midfielder and then shifted to another role too.
Merino has been used as a makeshift forward (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Recalibrating rather than sticking to a failing plan is positive and a sign of humility, but it is understandable why these final few tweaks and additions are proving to be testing.
Arsenal are a side of few sharp joins, which makes pinpointing fault lines difficult. When a squad of hybrid players has been built to fit hybrid roles, how easy is it to identify the missing piece of the jigsaw? Is there even just one piece missing, or are there two or three?
What should have been the final-build phase of the team last year now rolls into another summer, which becomes a critical juncture for Arsenal.
Arteta cannot allow the impressive European displays, or the harsh red cards and injuries that have dogged their Premier League season, to cover his team’s shortcomings. He must accurately diagnose what is preventing Arsenal from taking the final step.
He has done an exceptional job in reshaping an entire club over the past five years but the danger with being chief architect for so long is the potential to become blind to the flaws in your own engineering, unable to see past the original vision.
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When Kieran Tierney leaves this summer, every player in the squad bar Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will have been given their senior Arsenal debut by Arteta. How they defend and attack, and who does it, have been entirely shaped by him.
His default over the last two years has been to reinforce the defence and strengthen in midfield rather than indulge in flair and imagination at the top of the pitch. Perhaps it was a natural overcorrection to how this squad’s first tilt at the Premier League title collapsed two years ago on the run-in, but he must surely recognise Arsenal need more incisive players across several positions.
There is a gap up front, and in other areas of attack, where Arsenal do not stack up compared to rivals such as Liverpool and PSG, but they will not be able to address every flaw or upgrade all areas where there is headroom in one transfer window. Completing this team will be a question of prioritising, and diagnosing issues correctly.
Rice looks rueful as Ben White shakes Donnarumma’s hand after the final whistle in Paris (Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images)
The singular conclusion drawn whenever Arsenal are outgunned by another team is that they are missing a striker.
But whether they had a better No 9 or not was not a prescient point in this Champions League elimination.
The opening 25 minutes in Paris, until the sucker-punch of Fabian Ruiz’s deflected goal to make it 2-0 on aggregate, was as perfect a display from Arsenal as Arteta could have hoped for. Bar one or two turnovers and shots left on the shelf, they had PSG in a daze.
Even without a natural striker, Arsenal dominated Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and then created enough big chances to beat PSG. But those opportunities, barring Leandro Trossard’s one-v-one miss in the first leg, did not fall to the player who had been deployed up front.
Some will argue this is an indictment of what they are missing and that a better striker would have provided the movement and link-up play to get on the end of more chances, but the ones Arsenal did produce against PSG should have been enough. It was the individual execution of their supporting cast — plus an inspired Donnarumma — that has stopped them making the final against Inter on May 31.
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Trossard and Martinelli — playing in wide forward roles — missed two one-v-one chances in that 1-0 defeat last week. Then in the opening eight minutes on Wednesday, Rice saw a back-post header shave the post, Martinelli had a volley parried away and a Martin Odegaard shot from the edge of the box was terrifically pushed wide by Donnarumma.What You Should Read NextArsenal came close to a Champions League final with an incomplete squad – they need to strengthenMikel Arteta needs the sort of clinical firepower that PSG can call upon – it’s a gap that must be addressed this summer
In the second half, Saka had a curling shot destined for the top corner tipped over and, after scoring to give Arsenal hope of a comeback, he was unable to convert a golden chance when Calafiori’s cross flashed into his path, although Donnarumma’s dive made it a much harder task to keep the ball down.
There will be many who believe that if Arsenal swallow the magic-striker pill, they will automatically become trophy winners again. No doubt, an elite player up front would elevate the team, but football is not as binary as that and the issues with creation and conversion that have arisen over the past two seasons stretch beyond just one position.
Additional firepower is clearly needed but how Arteta diagnoses and treats that requirement will be an interesting sub-plot to the arrival of new sporting director Andrea Berta, who will have developed his own thoughts on the make-up of the squad in recent months.
Perhaps it’s part psychological, though, and now is the time for the signing of a couple of elite specialists in attacking positions to convince the rest of the dressing room that goals are inevitable.
(Top photo: Ibrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Even in defeat, Lamine Yamal proved he has become Barcelona’s main man
By The Athletic FC PodcastMay 9, 2025Updated 7:02 am EDT
Barcelona’s heartbreaking 4-3 loss against Inter Milan on Tuesday night, which sunk them to a 7-6 aggregate defeat, was a crushing way for their European campaign to end.
Amid the chaos in Milan, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal put on another breathtaking performance, just as he did in the first leg, further solidifying his status as the most exciting prospect in world football.
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On Wednesday’s episode of The Athletic FC Podcast, Ayo Akinwolere was joined by The Athletic’s Barcelona correspondent Pol Ballus and Italian football broadcaster Max Callegari to break down what makes Yamal such a special talent. Watch the episode below.
A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on YouTube below or on The Athletic FC Podcast feed via Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Ayo: Pol, let’s give Lamine Yamal some light. This boy is unbelievable. There’s a piece you and a whole heap of other journalists have got out now on The Athletic where you spoke to former managers, agents and coaches from around the global game on what they think this kid can offer.
He already feels like one of the leaders in this team but something I got from that piece was that he doesn’t just dribble for the sake of dribbling, there is already an end product.
Pol: When things were tough against Inter, he was like, ‘Pass me the ball, just pass the ball to me because I know what I have to do’. All the Barca players know that this is how they should approach the game. They know that the chosen one is him. That comes from Pedri, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi, Dani Olmo and everyone else, and these are all world-class players. But they know that there’s no one in that team like Yamal.
That’s what speaks for itself, and that’s what makes him different.
The big stage is what suits him, this tie confirmed it. He likes to be in the spotlight with everyone looking at him, and with San Siro fans booing him. When he came onto the pitch just before the game, his name was chanted and all the fans in San Sirio were shouting, “Boo!” But he just smiled and was like, ‘Yes, get in! Bring it on’.
At this point, it’s impossible to say what he will become because football, as an industry, is so difficult to deal with. It’s going to be down to him and how he handles it, but also how Barcelona handle his career.
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He is surrounded by team-mates who understand him and a club willing to make him the star. His impact and progress has even taught the veteran players in the squad, such as Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, and made them understand that the kid is the one. The players in the team know you don’t have to cross the ball to Lewandowski, you have to pass the ball to Yamal now — that’s the changing of the guard.
Max: What was also very good to see at the end of the game was the admiration of the Inter players for Yamal. Marcus Thuram, Federico Dimarco and others went to console him, showing him how they admired his style of play and his incredible personality.
Ayo: What was it like watching Yamal through an Italian lens, Max? Italy doesn’t produce those kinds of players and Yamal at 17 is quite phenomenal. I’d hate to be Dimarco marking him because at half-time, Dimarco looked like he was out of steam. It must be magical to see, especially on a big stage like that.
Max: It is magical. I couldn’t imagine seeing a player like him just a few years after the era of Lionel Messi. I thought we’d need to wait much longer to see another player who could give us the feeling Yamal is giving us now. This is the magic of Yamal, of football. As Pol says, we don’t know where he will arrive, it’s up to him. But we know that he is better than Messi was at the same age and the same stage.
You can listen to full episodes of The Athletic FC Podcast free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube.
(Top photo: Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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