UEFA Champions League final: Paris Saint-Germain planning for new era of dominance after 'masterclass' thrashing of Internazionale

The football world has new kings in the form of Paris Saint-Germain who confirmed their ascension to the throne with a crushing 5-0 win over Internazionale in the UEFA Champions League final at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Luis Enrique's victorious team have no intention of a short reign and hope to rule for years to come. Stream the Champions League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Highlights: Rampant PSG hit Inter for five in Champions League final

Video credit: TNT Sports

"We’re going to continue to conquer the footballing world."

Sat in the post-match press conference like an emperor addressing his subjects with a beaming smile across his face, Luis Enrique suggested that Paris Saint-Germain’s incredible 5-0 win over Internazionale in the UEFA Champions League final could lead to an era of dominance in the continent’s premier club competition.

PSG did not just win the final at the Allianz Arena, they humiliated opponents who were there on merit having impressed throughout this season’s tournament and deservedly beat some of the continent’s best sides en route to Munich.

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"I think the match was difficult, but we put the right pressure in defence and we didn’t allow them to play their normal football," Enrique told TNT Sports. "I think it was a really complete performance."

In winning so comfortably, Enrique’s team produced the kind of display that will strike fear into the hearts of any opponents in the competition next season and potentially beyond.

Fast starts and early goals propelled PSG’s run to the final during the knockout stage and Enrique’s side had no intention of changing tack in the final.

The Ligue 1 side dismissed any concerns the occasion might get to them by pinning their opponents into their own box from the outset and were duly rewarded for the early pressure through Achraf Hakimi.

The Moroccan, nominally a defender, found space in the box not unlike a striker to tap home Desire Doue’s centre just 12 minutes in.

The ex-Inter man’s ‘non-celebration’ in front of the fans who once cheered his name was the only mercy shown to the Italians all night.

Doue’s deflected second on 20 minutes all but killed the game and even small hints of an Inter recovery felt very much at PSG’s behest before choosing to up the gears with Doue again, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu completing the rout in the second half as PSG scored the most goals of a winning team in a Champions League or European Cup final for 65 years.

‘A real team’ – Enrique’s PSG compared to Messi, Neymar and Mbappe era

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Go back 12 months and few would have predicted what we witnessed in Munich. In fact, this would have been the first time in several years that PSG would have not been among the pre-tournament favourites, a belief largely fuelled by the fact they had lost their crown jewel in Kylian Mbappe.

The French striker’s exit followed those of Neymar and Lionel Messi as the club’s project to try and win the Champions League with the biggest names in the game imploded.

A new strategy was needed as Enrique and the club embarked on a mission to focus on younger talents, signing defender Willian Pacho (23), Doue (19), midfielder Joao Neves (20) and Kvaratskhelia (24) over the last 12 months.

It must be pointed out that with the club’s wealthy owners, this was still going to be a costly endeavour not readily available to others who do not possess the riches of Qatar Sports Investments, but arguably a better way to spend this money than throwing it at the biggest, most expensive names.

In Munich, this strategy paid dividends with Doue, a player whose ability had been compared to Neymar, putting in the kind of performance fans would have been desperate to see from the Brazilian in a match as big as this during his six years at the club.

After his player-of-the-match display, he effectively agreed with Enrique’s suggestion about wanting more success for the club in future.

"We will keep on working," the player told reporters. "We have a fantastic coach and an incredible staff.

"We have great players in the squad who help us a lot. We will keep on working together, with humility to win the most important trophies."

Doue finishes off superb move as PSG go three clear

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It was not just Doue who impressed, midfielders Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz were sensational and Bradley Barcola produced a superb cameo off the bench, almost scoring a fantastic solo goal but had to make do with an assist for academy star Mayulu, who will undoubtedly dine off his goal for the rest of what is expected to be a promising career.

As with Nottingham Forest, Marseille, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea before them, PSG were able to continue the curious trend of teams winning their first Champions League title in Munich but much more than that, they were able to rewrite their own history of heartache in the competition.

The ‘remontada’ against Barcelona naturally springs to mind when it comes to PSG’s dramatic failures in the competition, but losses to Manchester United, Real Madrid and Chelsea down the years have also created the narrative of the club as being incapable of success, even with the odds in their favour.

Popular modern parlance might describe them as ‘bottlers’ but after destroying Inter in such emphatic fashion, it felt like the club as a whole were taking out years and years of pent-up frustration to shatter that narrative for good.

With 11 Ligue 1 title wins in the last 13 years, PSG are used to dominating domestically but might be finally ready to translate that to Europe.

‘Scary’ PSG ready to rule Europe for a decade after ‘masterclass’ in Champions League final

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"That was a masterclass in every phase," said TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves. "These guys are going to be the team to beat for potentially a decade."

Rio Ferdinand concurred, stating: "To come to the final with such inexperience at this level, and to perform with the confidence and purity that we saw today, is absolutely amazing.

"It’s looking ominous for the other teams who will have to go some way to stay with this team because they’re a young, hungry, vibrant team."

As Enrique suggested, dominance across the continent is the aim with players who have not just tasted, but feasted heartily on this success, potentially salivating for more.

Inter might not be the only team to suffer at the hands of the new European champions.

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