Arsenal and PSG Meet in Champions League Final After Contrasting Seasons

Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain contest the Champions League final on Saturday at Budapest's Puskas Arena. The match marks Arsenal's 63rd game of the campaign and PSG's 56th, excluding seven matches from last summer's Club World Cup.

Arsenal reached the final after 14 Champions League matches. PSG played 16 European ties, including a two-legged knockout phase play-off against Monaco. Of the players who started each club's semi-final second legs, Arsenal's starting 11 accumulated 6,726 more league minutes than PSG's equivalents.

PSG captain Marquinhos started 14 European games while making 14 league appearances. He recorded no league minutes between 13 February and 19 April.

PSG coach Luis Enrique used 28 players in league fixtures compared with Arsenal's 25. PSG forward Ousmane Dembele completed 90 minutes in the league only once across 22 appearances. Forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia played the full 90 minutes twice in 28 matches.

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya played every minute until being rested on the final day. Four other Arsenal players started at least 30 league games.

PSG secured the Ligue 1 title with a game to spare on 13 May. They lost their final league match 2-1 to Paris FC on 17 May after receiving the trophy before kick-off. Arsenal clinched the Premier League title when Manchester City drew with Bournemouth last Tuesday.

Several first-team players were rested for the final league match against Crystal Palace. PSG will have had 13 days between their last league game and the final. Arsenal will have six days. "Every match is different and presents its own challenges. We have to take everything into consideration," Luis Enrique said between the legs of PSG's semi-final against Bayern Munich.

The Ligue 1 season contains four fewer matchdays than the Premier League because of its 18-team format. PSG finished 12 points ahead of second-placed Lens.