Paris Saint-Germain held an internal scrimmage this Saturday, just a week before their highly anticipated Champions League final clash with Arsenal. While Ballon d’Or 2025 winner Ousmane Dembélé and Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi were not part of this friendly match, there appears to be no cause for alarm regarding their participation in the upcoming fixture against the Gunners.
As anticipated, Paris Saint-Germain diligently maintained their match rhythm this Saturday at the Poissy Campus training ground. Following their 2-1 defeat to Paris FC on the final Ligue 1 matchday, coach Luis Enrique had announced an internal friendly, which reportedly ran for over an hour at a notably high tempo.
No concerns for Dembélé and Hakimi, expected to start against Arsenal
Two squads, designated black and white, competed in an eleven-a-side format. Although the final score remained undisclosed, I can confirm that Ibrahima Mbaye and Vitinha found the net for the white team. A crowd of 1,000 passionate ultras and approximately 100 children, specially invited by the club, offered their final cheers to the Parisians before their monumental encounter with the Gunners. A banner displayed by the Collectif Ultras Paris powerfully declared, “Once, it’s historic. Twice, it’s legendary,” encapsulating the fervent desire to retain the Champions League title.
Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi were indeed the sole players absent from this practice match. Hakimi, who sustained a thigh injury during the Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich on April 28 (a 5-4 victory), focused on individual training. Dembélé, experiencing discomfort in a calf following last Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Paris FC, remained under medical care. My observations suggest that PSG harbors no serious concerns regarding either player’s fitness and is merely exercising caution. Both Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi are widely expected to be in the starting lineup for the Champions League final against Arsenal on May 30 in Budapest. The ultras gave a resounding ovation to President Al-Khelaifi, Luis Campos, Luis Enrique, and the entire squad, their focus already firmly fixed on the crucial fixture against the Gunners.