PSG gears up for Champions League final with intense training session

Key players like Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi skipped today’s internal scrimmage, but their absence raised no alarms ahead of the Arsenal showdown.

With the Champions League final just seven days away, Paris Saint-Germain orchestrated a high-stakes training simulation in Poissy to fine-tune their preparations for the May 30 clash against Arsenal in Budapest. Luis Enrique, the team’s head coach, handpicked two squads of eleven players for a one-hour internal match, designed to maintain sharpness and tactical cohesion ahead of football’s grandest stage.

The two teams were split as follows:

Black Team: Marin – Fanne Drame, Zabarnyi, Hernandez, Mendes – Mayulu, Neves, Beraldo – Doué, Ramos, Barcola.

White Team: Safonov – Zaïre-Emery, Pacho, Marquinhos, Cordier – Dro, Vitinha, Ruiz – Mbaye, Lee, Kvaratskhelia.

Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi, both notably absent from the friendly, trained separately. Club officials confirmed no concerns over their fitness, assuring both would feature prominently in the upcoming final. Nuno Mendes and Willian Pacho, who missed the last Ligue 1 fixture against Paris FC, were active participants in the scrimmage.

Luis Enrique called up several young talents for the session, including Abdou Fanne Drame, Rayan Abo El Nay, Thomas Cordier, and Yanis Khafi. The session saw goals from Vitinha, Ibrahim Mbaye, and Gonçalo Ramos, injecting energy into the squad’s preparations.

Final stretch begins Tuesday

The match unfolded in front of 1,000 passionate ultras, invited by the club to celebrate their unwavering support and replicate the electric atmosphere of a real matchday. The Collectif Ultras Paris showcased a banner reading “Once is historic, twice is legendary”, while over 150 children from PSG for Communities enjoyed the event, personally invited by club president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi.

At the final whistle, Marquinhos and his teammates presented jerseys and footballs to the fans, marking another milestone in their journey toward the Champions League final. After a rest day on Sunday and Monday, training resumes Tuesday as the team enters the decisive phase of their campaign.