At a Glance:
- Arsenal take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday.
- The Parisians could be without Achraf Hakimi for the European showdown.
- Here’s how Luis Enrique is likely to set up.
Arsenal take on the blistering Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest on Saturday evening.
This showpiece event will take place at the Puskas Arena, with the Parisians bidding to win back-to-back European titles, while the Gunners are on the hunt for their first triumph in this competition. Mikel Arteta’s team booked their place in this monumental showdown by overcoming Atletico Madrid in an intense two-legged semi-final, while PSG navigated their way past Bayern Munich in a chaotic tie.
The North Londoners have a few injury issues to contend with, most notably at right-back, with Ben White certainly out and Jurrien Timber unlikely to be able to start. However, these issues cut both ways, as Luis Enrique comes into the clash with his very own problems.
- READ MORE: PSG vs Arsenal: Zohran Mamdani shares his Champions League final prediction, ‘I’m praying…’
PSG team news ahead of Arsenal clash
PSG have been in the privileged position of being able to rest key players throughout their domestic campaign. Given the disparity between the Parisian club and the rest of Ligue 1, Enrique has been able to field mix-and-match teams full of young academy players for the majority of their league season, and still emerge with the title.
Arsenal don’t have this luxury, given the competitiveness and intensity of the English top flight. The result of these respective league campaigns is that PSG head into this final fresh and well rested, while the Gunners are carrying an exhausted team full of players who have been overworked.
That’s not to say PSG have no fitness concerns. Achraf Hakimi has spent the last month on the sidelines with a thigh injury and isn’t expected to be ready to start in Hungary.
Achraf Hakimi qui marque pendant l'entraînement, aujourd'hui 😁🔴🔵
— Le Meilleur du PSG (@LMDPSG) May 28, 2026
pic.twitter.com/iEUhHwm4Si
Like Timber for Arsenal, the Moroccan has a good chance of making the matchday squad, but isn’t likely to be sufficiently fit to be thrown back in at the deep end. Other than Hakimi, PSG’s squad is almost entirely healthy.
Ousmane Dembele was forced off after 27 minutes in Enrique’s outfit’s last Ligue 1 match of the season. However, this substitution was said to be precautionary and the Ballon d’Or winner is expected to start in Budapest.
Elsewhere, goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier has recovered from a thigh strain and should be an option for Enrique on Saturday.
PSG’s Predicted XI vs Arsenal
PSG have a well-established first eleven that waltzed to a Champions League triumph last season. That team has hardly featured together domestically this time around, but has more or less played all the crunch matches in Europe this term.
Goalkeeper Matvey Sefanov is the one major change from last season’s team. The Russian has displaced Gianluigi Donnarumma in between the sticks, and this could be an area Arsenal exploit.
Sefanov’s reflexes are nowhere near Donnarumma’s level, while the new PSG number one is also weak commanding his box – the Gunners can lean into this with their set-piece dominance.
Gigio Donnarumma vs Arsenal (2nd leg)
— AzzurriXtra🇮🇹 (@XtraAzzurri) May 7, 2025
• 95 Minutes Played
• 14/27 Successful Passes (52%)
• 7/20 Successful Long Balls
• 3 Saves Made
• 3 Punches Made
• 1 High Claim
• 3 Clearances
Several key saves once again today🧤
Onto the Champions League Final✅ pic.twitter.com/HBVz3C6g84
At right-back is where Enrique will have to make an adjustment in Hakimi’s absence. Warren Zaire-Emery is likely to step up to the plate and start in this defensive role.
The French youngster impressed in this unnatural position in the second leg of the Bayern tie, but he is another player who Arsenal could expose. The rest of the back four, midfield and front three will be identical to what Arteta’s side faced last year.
Predicted PSG line-up vs Arsenal: Sefanov; Zaire-Emery, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves, Ruiz, Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.
