GOAL US writers discuss PSG's absolutely mauling of Inter in the Champions League final, and whether it was good for the game
So, PSG won the Champions League. And it wasn't even close. They absolutely mauled Inter, delivering an at-times-hard-to-watch 5-0 pummeling of a team that the world quietly hoped might spring an upset. PSG looked full of youthful verve and energy, every bit a well-coached, hardworking side that they perhaps should have been for years given their resources.
Inter, meanwhile, which have squeezed every last ounce of energy out of an aging side, looked like they were all in their mid-40s.
It was beautiful football from PSG. But it also came with its problems. PSG's wage budget blows Inter's out of the water. Their ability to spend on talent is unparalleled. Of course they should win this thing – even if they deserve plenty of credit for doing so in such a dominant manner.
But is this just the start of an era? Or did PSG just find fleeting success? On the Inter side, what happens now? Have they reached the end, old legs in midfield and defense finally staggering to a stop? It's fair to question how much they have left – especially with their excellent manager linked to a move to the Saudi Pro League.
Coincidentally, their 5-0 thrashing wasn't the only one over the weekend. The Vancouver Whitecaps, fairytale underdogs of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, turned in a remarkably similar performance, a naive setup battered by a superior opponent. They, too, were a bit of a darling tale, swept away by something richer and more powerful.
GOAL US writers debate the fallout of the Champions League and what it all means in the latest edition of … The Rondo.
AFPWere you surprised by how PSG's dominance?
Tom Hindle: Yes, 100 percent. Made the mistake of saying in this very space that Inter were favorites to win, and that prediction aged like milk. It was always going to be tough for them, but throughout the knockout stage they'd had a certain resilience. This team didn't like playing with the ball, and PSG loved to have it. In many ways, it all looked a lot like their matchup with Barca – which Inter, ya know, won. Even if they lost, you'd figured it would be a tight, almost unpleasant encounter. So much for that. Inter got battered. Didn't see that coming.
Jacob Schneider: Not at all. They were the best team throughout the UCL, and in France, all season. From Desire Doue to Vitinha and Joao Neves alongside Fabian Ruiz, they were remarkable all along. So, so impressed.
Ryan Tolmich: Surprised by PSG winning? No. The five-goal margin? Hell yeah. PSG are a great team, but so are Inter, so to see them capitulate like that was stunning. It was the perfect storm of bad for the Italian side, who put together the worst possible performance imaginable, from top to bottom. Meanwhile, Doue played the game of his life, and PSG’s other stars weren’t far behind. There isn’t a five-goal gap between these two teams but on Saturday there was – and that’s all that matters.
Alex Labidou: PSG were expected to win, but the scoreline was certainly unexpected. Manager Luis Enrique deserves full credit. This was clearly an emotional match for the Spaniard, and he instilled his intensity onto the club's players. They were relentless on all fronts, and it showed in the final result.
AdvertisementAFPDo Inter have any chance of returning to the top?
TH: This might be a fallow period – which is a real shame. This seemed the end of a cycle for a really good, but really old team. Inter, remember, are on a shoestring budget relative to the rest of the top teams in Europe, and get routinely outspent in their own league. If reports are to be believed, they might lose their manager, too. Sure, you'd back them to make a few good signings here and there, but Champions League success seems unlikely.
JS: The run feels over. But as long as SimoneInzaghi is on the touchline, nothing can be doubted. He is a top manager and knows how to maximize a roster.
RT: They’ll be fine. This is a well-run club, one that has been at this level for several years. Generally, well-run clubs tend to sustain success, so no worries. The big question is if they can go from well-run to elite and, right now, they’re missing the special sauce needed to get them there. Let’s see how they reinvest. But regardless, this is a team that stays one of the top 10 in Europe, no doubt.
AL: Bye Inter, it was nice knowing you. Jokes aside, it's difficult to see how this team can put together another deep run like the one they did this season for several reasons. One, this team is a bit long in the tooth, with several players in its starting XI either approaching 30 or older. Second, this was an underdog run to begin with, and teams are going to be more prepared for the Nerazzurri next season. Lastly, there are questions about potential moves for some of the team's younger stars, such as Alessandro Bastoni.
Getty Images SportIs PSG’s win good for football?
TH: No. No nation-state trophy is good for football. We shouldn't applaud PSG for figuring out how to assemble a squad like normal humans. Anyone who knows anything about this sport could have told you years ago that collecting stars is a really stupid way to try to win things. Also, let's be honest, this never really was about the football. PSG maxed out on the star player name branding cred. Now they decided not to be idiotic. That's not worthy of applause. It's just common sense.
JS: It absolutely is. Luis Enrique deserved this moment and this squad did, too. They locked in under an ideal and stuck to it all season long. They play beautifully, and with one of the most likeable managers on the touchline, lifted the UCL trophy. It's a stupendous storyline for everything that happens on the pitch.
RT: There’s all sorts of nuance to this question when looking at the off-field finances, so we won’t get into those. On-field, though? Oh yeah. This shows what investing in young talent can do, and it’s a model that won out this year. Gone are the days of stupid spending on stars. This era is about growing new legends, and that occurred before our eyes.
AL: Yes. PSG have tried for more than a decade to capture Europe's biggest trophy and failed through a variety of approaches. They tried the tested veteran approach with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva leading the way. Les Parisiens then tried to go the Galacticos route with Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar and failed that way too. What made this win so significant is PSG finally built a squad in an organic way, making shrewd moves to revamp the team and better fit Enrique's style of play after a bitter exit by Mbappe. Yes, PSG still spends a ton of money, but they do so intelligently now. They very well could be the favorites again next season, if they continue to follow this blueprint.
Getty ImagesWho’s the Ballon d’Or front runner now?
TH: It's very, very close right now. Mo Salah was the frontrunner, and if Inter had won the other day, he might have claimed the thing. But PSG's victory probably means Ousmane Dembele has it wrapped up, even if Salah's numbers were better and Lamine Yamal is more fun to watch.
JS: Dembele is the frontrunner, and rightfully so. He's been remarkable all campaign. Deserved, and not unexpected. Say what you want about his Barca career, but none of that matters in this context. He has been utterly brilliant.
RT: The actual front unner is probably Dembele, but it should be closer than it probably is. Salah and Raphinha were just as good if not better, but we all know how this voting goes. It’s Dembele’s to lose now.
AL: It has to be Dembele, right? Forty-one goal contributions in Ligue 1 and the UCL combined and embracing a new role as a striker this season, the Frenchman finally lived up to the outsized expectations placed on him while climbing up the ranks at Dortmund. Naysayers will say Yamal deserves this, but this feels too fast, too soon for the 17-year-old. As unfair as it sounds, winning La Liga alone isn't enough for the Barca star to get the Ballon D'Or.