With just one week remaining until their monumental season-ending fixture, Paris Saint-Germain orchestrated a crucial final rehearsal this Saturday at Poissy. To optimally prepare for the Champions League final on May 30th in Budapest against Arsenal, coach Luis Enrique arranged an internal friendly match on the Campus PSG pitch. This allowed his squad to maintain match fitness and intensity through an intra-squad scrimmage. Two teams, each comprising eleven players, engaged in a high-octane contest for over an hour.

The two sides were structured as follows:

Black Team: Marin – Fanne Drame, Zabarnyi, Hernandez, Mendes – Mayulu, Neves, Beraldo – Doué, Ramos, Barcola.

White Team: Safonov – Zaïre-Emery, Pacho, Marquinhos, Cordier – Dro, Vitinha, Ruiz – Mbaye, Lee, Kvaratskhelia.

Only two prominent players were absent from the scrimmage: Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi. While they did not join the team opposition, both the French and Moroccan internationals engaged in individual training sessions. There is no internal apprehension regarding their condition, as the coaching staff prudently avoided any risks, ensuring both players will be fully ready for the Budapest showdown against the Gunners in a week’s time. Notably, Nuno Mendes and Willian Pacho, who missed the last Ligue 1 match against Paris FC, were full participants in the internal game.

For this special occasion, Luis Enrique extended invitations to several promising young talents, including Abdou Fanne Drame, Rayan Abo El Nay, Thomas Cordier, and Yanis Khafi. Among the goal scorers during the high-paced encounter were Vitinha, Ibrahim Mbaye, and Gonçalo Ramos.

Training resumes tuesday

This internal match unfolded before an enthusiastic crowd of 1000 ultras, specially invited by the club to acknowledge their unwavering support throughout the season. Their presence also served to simulate a genuine stadium atmosphere and match conditions. Members of the Collectif Ultras Paris seized the opportunity to convey messages of encouragement, notably unfurling a banner that read, “Once is historic, twice is legendary.” Additionally, over 150 children from PSG for Communities were in attendance, guests of President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi.

Following the match, Marquinhos and his teammates expressed their gratitude by presenting their jerseys and footballs to the delighted supporters. After a scheduled rest on Sunday and Monday, the squad will resume training this Tuesday, commencing their final preparations for the highly anticipated Champions League final.