The UEFA Champions League season comes to a close on Saturday in Budapest, Hungary, where Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are settling in before a final that feels like a fitting conclusion to the campaign that has passed.
This season's finalists have been amongst the oddsmakers' choice to win the competition all season long, the Gunners favored more than most over the last nine months. After years of falling short at the final hurdle, Arsenal have finally been consistent from start to finish – they snapped a 22-year drought to win a major title with their Premier League triumph last week, and even as the preferred choice on Saturday, the pressure is off. Their first Champions League title -- in only their second appearance in the final, their first since 2006 -- would be a cherry on top of a campaign that has already seen decades of stress become a thing of the past for the Arsenal faithful, as well as the team itself.
Beating PSG, though, is no small feat. They got off to a slow start in Europe as injuries hampered the early part of their season, but things turned in their favor midway through the season and it has essentially been full steam ahead since. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has taken center stage this season, the Georgia international showcasing why he is a world-class attacker after an impressive first half-season with the club. While Arsenal chase a first, PSG are in the pursuit of creating a dynasty – they hope to be the first back-to-back winners since Real Madrid completed the feat in 2018, an impressive accomplishment for a team that had no Champions League titles before their victory in Munich a year ago.
No matter how things shake out the Hungarian capital, Saturday's result will continue a changing of the guard for Europe's elite clubs as two teams with limited experience in this setting chart a path into record books long dominated by the continent's historically dominant sides.
Here's what you need to know ahead of the Champions League final.
How to watch Arsenal vs. Paris Saint-Germain, odds
- Date: Saturday, May 30 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
- Location: Puskas Arena -- Budapest, Hungary
- TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: PSG +130; Draw +230; Arsenal +220
Paris Saint-Germain, the dynamic dynasty-chasers
This season's final is a tale of two stylistically different sides, Paris Saint-Germain delivering a quintessential brand of entertainment that makes them an easy watch -- and an equally difficult opponent. True to the tactical preferences of the modern game, coach Luis Enrique has defensive demands for his players, but in exchange, he allows their individuality to shine in attack. He has struck the balance excellently since Kylian Mbappe's departure as a free agent two summers ago, first on the back of an excellent season by eventual Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and now through the skill of Kvaratskhelia.
With a win on Saturday, Kvaratskhelia can make a very compelling case that he is one of the world's best players -- even if the Ballon d'Or will likely elude him since the award's voting body heavily favors players who win major international trophies in competition years and Georgia failed to qualify for the World Cup. He has 18 goals and 10 assists across all competitions, stepping into the void while Dembele battled injuries for notable stretches of the season, outdoing his stellar start to life in Paris when he joined midway through the 2024-25 campaign. He averages 0.4 goals from 0.3 expected goals per game, up from his average of 0.3 goals and 0.2 expected goals in his first half-season with the club.
Enrique, meanwhile, is making a similar case for himself. He had his doubters when he talked a big game about PSG in the months after Mbappe's departure, but his unique high-intensity approach proved to be an impressive tactical innovation that has created a cohesive team identity after years of mainly being a collection of stars. In the process, he became a member of an extremely exclusive club – he and Pep Guardiola are the only coaches to have won the European treble twice, Enrique slowly but surely becoming one of his generation's greatest tactical minds in the process. A treble may not be in the cards this season after PSG booked an earlier-than-expected exit in the Coupe de France, but between successive Champions League final appearances and a trip to the Club World Cup final in between, Enrique's successful transformation of the club is already complete. A victory on Saturday would only add to an already impressive legacy.
Arsenal, the defensive stalwarts
Arsenal will play the dramatic foil in Budapest, reaching the final after years of building Europe's best defense. The margin is not even close this season in the Champions League -- they have conceded an average of 0.4 goals per game this season, while the next best team in Liverpool clocks in at 1.1 goals against. They have overperformed in that category considerably though they still clock in at 0.8 expected goals against per game, the best all season, benefitting from goalkeeper David Raya's strong campaign.
The star of their show, though, is Declan Rice. The England international hit the ground running when he joined the Gunners in the summer of 2023, a perfect fit at the base of their midfield. He is far from the only defensive talent Arsenal boast, though -- center backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are likely to play a big role on Saturday, especially with the task of keeping Kvaratskhelia at bay.
To say their defense has been their strong suit this season is no understatement, either. They rank fairly high in average expected goal differential with 1.2 per game, third-best in the Champions League, but their efforts at the back make up for the fact that they rank sixth in Europe for average expected goals per game at 2 and ninth for goals scored with 2.1. The good news for Arsenal, though, is that Bukayo Saka is back to full fitness. Rice's club and country teammate has brought the missing spark in recent weeks after another injury-riddled season, putting the Gunners in as good a position as they can be against a PSG defense that can sometimes be leaky. Plus, there's always Arsenal's set-piece prowess if all else fails.
Projected starting lineups
Paris Saint-Germain: Matvey Safonov, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Arsenal: David Raya, Jurien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres, Leandro Trossard
Prediction
A closely contested match feels appropriate for a battle between two teams with contrasting styles, but Arsenal are playing with house money in Budapest, and PSG are a team that has so far seemed unfazed by the pressure of being Europe's newest monarchs. The Gunners will keep things interesting, but if anyone has the attackers to get past the north Londoners' terrific defense, it is PSG; expect them to reign supreme when the time comes. Pick: Paris Saint-Germain 2, Arsenal 1
CBS Sports UEFA Champions League Final Schedule
Saturday, May 30 (All Times ET)
Time (ET)Program / MatchPlatform / Network8:00 AMMorning FootyGolazo Network10:00 AMUEFA Champions League Today (Pre-Match)Paramount+, Golazo Network, YouTube11:00 AMUEFA Champions League Today (Pre-Match)CBS, Paramount+11:00 AMChampions League MatchdayGolazo Network12:00 PMPSG vs. ArsenalCBS, Paramount+12:00 PMBeckham & Friends LiveParamount+2:00 PMThe Champions ClubGolazo Network2:30 PMUEFA Champions League Today (Post-Match)CBS, Paramount+4:00 PMScorelineGolazo Network Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments
