Alvarez ended the 24/25 season as Atletico Madrid’s top scorer with 29 goals across his 54 appearances in his debut season under the tutelage of Diego Simeone. 17 of these goals came in LaLiga with the 25 year old managing 41 shots on target across his 37 appearances in the Spanish top flight during the 24/25 campaign (1.47 per 90).

Alvarez also showcased his quality in the Champions League, scoring seven goals across his 10 appearances in the competition. He had 22 shots (2.51 per 90) across these fixtures with 11 of these attempts finding the target (1.25 per 90). This shows that Alvarez is a real threat even against the more elite sides that Atletico Madrid will face in this competition, starting here against the newly crowned Champions of Europe.

These sides faced off in the league phase of the Champions League in a game that saw Atletico Madrid run out 2-1 winners. Alvarez was still adapting to his new environment at that stage so it isn’t too surprising that he didn’t manage to have a shot on target on that occasion. However, this selection would have landed via super sub with Angel Correa coming on for Alvarez and scoring the winner. Super Sub could be relevant again here with Atletico Madrid boasting depth in attacking areas. 

Joao Neves is the most combative of the midfield trio for PSG and this should continue in this tournament. Luis Enrique wants his side to be very active when they lose the ball, implementing an intense counter press which allows the Parisians to keep the opposition penned back allowing them to launch wave after wave of attack. 

Joao Neves is crucial to this process, and his foul numbers reflect his role as the most likely PSG midfielder to engage with the opposition and give away a free kick. Neves committed 17 fouls across his 22 starts for PSG during the 24/25 Ligue 1 season (0.83 per 90) with this average rising to 1.51 fouls committed per 90 in the Champions League which indicates that the 20 year old is more regularly tested against elite opposition. 

Atletico can be quite a dogged and determined side and this may be the approach that Diego Simeone looks to employ to try and quell the relentless nature of this PSG side. Neves committed a foul in the meeting between these sides in the league phase of the Champions League and will be up against an energetic Atletico Madrid midfield here which includes the likes of Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo De Paul.

PSG solidified their status as Europe's top side during the 24/25 season with a dominant Champions League final victory, thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the most one sided final in recent years. Under Luis Enrique, they have built a well balanced and hardworking squad packed with talent, combining the flair of past teams with a renewed work ethic that finally delivered the club’s most coveted trophy.

Few teams can cope with PSG’s attacking firepower. The front three of Doue, Dembele, and Kvaratskhelia have been outstanding since the start of the year, helping PSG score 92 goals in 34 Ligue 1 games (2.70 per game) during the 24/25 campaign. Atlético Madrid, by contrast, managed just 68 goals in 38 La Liga matches (1.78 per game) and often struggled to finish games strongly. Their 10 draws in the league proved costly in the title race, despite losing the same number of games as Real Madrid and Barcelona (6).

PSG ended the season with five straight wins and, after their Champions League triumph, will fancy their chances against almost any opponent. With undeniable individual quality and Luis Enrique’s effective tactical structure, they look well placed to add yet another trophy to their 24/25 successes.

Achraf Hakimi has firmly established himself as the best right-back in world football thanks to his outstanding performances for PSG during the 24/25 season. His attacking contributions were remarkable, with 21 goal involvements across 48 appearances - a return that would be impressive for an attacking player, let alone a fullback. His influence was on full display in the Champions League final, where he scored one of PSG’s five goals against Inter Milan, underlining his ability to deliver on the biggest stage.

Hakimi’s attacking threat is reflected in his shooting numbers, averaging 2.10 shots per 90 minutes in the Champions League across 17 appearances. Even in Ligue 1, he maintained a strong average of 1.39 shots per 90, proving his consistency in both domestic and European competitions. When PSG faced Atletico Madrid earlier in the Champions League, Hakimi was particularly dangerous, registering five shots, a sign of his ability to exploit defensive weaknesses. 

Conor Gallagher embodies the approach that Diego Simeone wants to see from his side. Gallagher is energetic and occasionally frantic, which leads to him giving away fouls and collecting cautions. When these sides met in the league phase of the Champions League earlier in the season, Gallagher made more tackles than any other player on the pitch (4), underlying his willingness to get through a lot of work off the ball. 

He’ll be up against a talented midfield trio of Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha who have shown an ability to control games, Gallagher may struggle to get the tackle success he did in the recent meeting between these sides seeing as this midfield trio has gone from strength to strength since the turn of the year. Gallagher only picked up two yellow cards during the 24/25 LaLiga season for Atletico Madrid which doesn’t quite line up with his 1.76 fouls committed per 90 average from last season. 

Gallagher should catch the attention of the referee with his overeager approach which regularly leads to the former Chelsea man overstepping the mark. You would expect his card numbers to catch up with his foul rate in this competition, especially against the elite sides. 

Donnarumma was a crucial component in PSG’s Champions League success during the 24/25 season, he averaged 2.35 saves per 90 across his 15 games in the Champions League. Atletico Madrid have plenty of players that can test the Italian number one, with Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth being the main threats to Donnarumma. 

Donnarumma was forced into making 3+ saves in both legs of PSG’s semi final victory over Arsenal and was also called into action six times across the two legged quarter final clash against Aston Villa. PSG can look impenetrable when examining their record domestically and in the Champions League this season but they did show pockets of vulnerability, particularly in the games they played away from the Parc Des Princes in the Champions League - the most obvious example being Aston Villa’s half completed comeback against Luis Enrique’s side at Villa Park.