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The UEFA Champions League title will be decided on Saturday night at the Puskas Arena, where reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain faces Premier League winners Arsenal in a final that brings together two of Europe’s in-form sides.
The match kicks off at 04:00 p.m. GMT and will be officiated by German referee Daniel Siebert, with assistants Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn. Sandro Scharer has been appointed as the fourth official.
PSG enters the final aiming to retain the trophy and secure consecutive UEFA Champions League titles. The French side is competing in its third final, having lost to Bayern Munich in 2020 before winning the competition last season with a dominant victory over Inter.
Despite lifting the trophy last year, PSG’s route to this season’s final was not straightforward. The club finished 11th in the league phase after a mixed run of results, recording four wins, two draws, and two defeats from eight matches, which forced it into the knockout play-offs.
In the knockout stages, PSG defeated Monaco in the play-offs before eliminating Chelsea in the round of 16, Liverpool in the quarter-finals, and Bayern Munich in the semifinals to reach another final.
Arsenal is targeting its first UEFA Champions League title and enters the final unbeaten in the competition this season. Under manager Mikel Arteta, the London club ended a 22-year domestic title drought by winning the Premier League and now has the chance to complete a historic double.
This marks Arsenal’s second Champions League final appearance, following its defeat to Barcelona in 2006. The club has enjoyed a flawless European campaign, winning all eight league-phase matches to top the group, before advancing past Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP, and Atletico Madrid in the knockout rounds.
A victory in Budapest would also complete a European “treble” for English clubs this season, following successes in other UEFA competitions.
Both teams face uncertainty over key players ahead of kick-off. PSG is monitoring Achraf Hakimi, Lucas Chevalier, Nuno Mendes and Ousmane Dembele, with their availability to be confirmed on match day.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will be without Ben White due to injury, while David Raya, Jurrien Timber and Noni Madueke remain doubts due to ongoing fitness issues.
Budapest has seen a major influx of supporters ahead of the final, with approximately 50,000 fans travelling to the Hungarian capital for the match.
The surge in visitors has led to full hotel occupancy across the city, while accommodation prices have risen significantly, with some four-star hotel rates increasing from around €250 to as high as €3,000 per night.
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