Champions League Final Without Megastar Players

PARIS, THURSDAY - This season's UEFA Champions League is marked by a unique phenomenon with the absence of star players in the final match. Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, and Robert Lewandowski, who are the mainstays of their respective teams, failed to reach the pinnacle match. This season has become a moment for teams that rely on collectivity and team cohesion, as demonstrated by Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.

PSG follows Inter, who had already advanced to the final. The team coached by Luis Enrique defeated Arsenal, 2-1, at the Parc des Princes Stadium on Thursday (8/5/2025). This result reaffirms PSG's superiority, having won the first leg 1-0 at Arsenal's home ground.

This marks PSG's second final since 2020. They are also getting closer to the dream of winning their first Champions League trophy in history. The aspiration to win the Champions League feels like a utopian idea considering that PSG has been left by their megastar, Mbappe, who transferred to Real Madrid at the beginning of this season. After Mbappe's departure, there are no more stars remaining in the PSG squad. In previous seasons, PSG was rich with star power, featuring Lionel Messi, Neymar, Edinson Cavani, and Mbappe.

Without a big name in the team, PSG's steps were indeed stumbling at the beginning. "Les Parisiens" even had to go through a play-off to qualify for the last 16 because they were only able to finish in 15th place in the league phase. Slowly but surely, PSG found their rhythm. Enrique concocted PSG into a solid team even without the presence of star players.

"There is a genuine feeling from me that this will be their time. A team that works very hard for one another. They have a pace and energy that is very difficult to control," said former England defender Matthew Upson as quoted by BBC Sport.

Enrique, according to Matthew, has found balance within his team. This is the reason why PSG was able to take the lead even though Ousmane Dembele did not play until the 70th minute. So far, Dembele has been the top scorer for PSG in the Champions League. The right winger has accumulated 21 goals and six assists.

Following Mbappe's departure, it can be said that Dembele has become the mainstay of PSG's attacking line. However, Dembele's brilliance is also complemented by his teammates such as Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The four players formed a cohesive unit and were very fluid in their attacking play. Whereas previously PSG's attacks relied solely on Mbappe's skills, the combination of Dembele and the three other players is now very fluid and explosive. All of this is thanks to Enrique, who has crafted a team without star players into a young squad bursting with energy.

Statistics show that PSG has recorded 63 big chances so far in the Champions League. This number is the highest among all contestants. The aggressiveness of PSG's front line has also contributed to this achievement. PSG is the second team with the most touches in the opponent's penalty area, with a total of 597 touches.

"PSG no longer has Neymar, Messi, or Mbappe. They have all left. However, now they are a complete team. I have never seen forwards work as hard as this," said former Arsenal defender, Martin Keown, as quoted by TNT Sports.

Like PSG, Inter also hardly has any big names within the team. Inter's coach, Simone Inzaghi, has proven that having star players is not an absolute requirement in building a great team.

Lautaro Martinez is currently Inter's most expensive player with a market value of 95 million euros (IDR 1.7 trillion). Furthermore, Inzaghi heavily relies on veteran players to complete his team. This season, Inter has become the team with the oldest average age in the Champions League at 31.1 years.

To circumvent the absence of star players at Inter, Inzaghi has developed a system that allows players to rotate positions dynamically. The players are not bound to their positions but are required to keep moving. Hakan Calhanoglu, who plays as a midfielder, often drops back alongside the three defenders to balance the number of opposing attackers. Additionally, Lautaro is frequently seen not hesitating to move back to draw the opposing defenders, while at the same time Nicollo Barella advances to fill his position.

"This team began to develop awareness when they played in the final in Istanbul. This is a team that has been together for four years, having gained great awareness and harmony that is well-coordinated by the coach," said Inter President, Beppe Marotta.

At a time when PSG and Inter are thriving through team cohesion and collectivity, other contenders with star players such as Manchester City and Real Madrid have already been eliminated. Playing as a unified entity this season feels more effective. In PSG and Inter, every player shines equally bright. There is no one overshadowing the light of their teammates.

The final match took place at the Allianz Arena Stadium, Munich, Germany, on Sunday (1/6) early morning WIB. In this match, Inter and PSG will compete for the title of the most solid team of the season without the presence of any star players on the field. (REUTERS)