When Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) play Arsenal in the Champions League final in Budapest on Saturday, the defending champions will have fresher legs on the field at the Puskás Aréna because of less game time during the domestic campaign compared to their challengers. PSG’s fifth Ligue 1 title on the trot puts them a class apart, the gulf between them and the rest big enough for manager Luis Enrique to rest key players but still win silverware. For example, Ligue 1’s player of the year, forward Ousmane Dembele, played just 11 matches, while Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka featured in 25 games. Saka was on the field for 2,226 minutes while Dembele played for just 1,063 minutes. Dembele had started just nine league matches when he was adjudged the best in the season. PSG’s Warren Zaïre-Emery played 27 matches, the most for the side. But seven of Arsenal’s likely starting XI for the final have played more matches than him with Martín Zubimendi (34) and Declan Rice (35) topping the chart. Overall, Arsenal’s likely starting 11 has accumulated 10,343 more minutes than PSG’s. PSG captain Marquinhos actually saw more action in the Champions League than in domestic competition, logging 1,215 minutes and 14 starts in Europe compared with just 1,049 minutes and 11 starts in Ligue 1. PSG’s not-so-secret formula for churning out wins is rather simple: don’t play your star players when you don’t need to; and in Ligue 1, where PSG’s squad value is more than double that of the second-most expensive team Monaco, they can often get away with that approach. Ahead of PSG’s second leg of the semifinal against Bayern Munich, manager Luis Enrique spoke about how important rest is for his players.Story continues below this ad “I need to speak to the players individually. It’s not easy, it’s like playing (video game) Tetris,” he said in a press conference. “We have to win the three points and manage to get the players back for the most important match of the season.” PSG have also had their way when it comes to scheduling. This season, when finding themselves in the unfamiliar situation of a semi-competitive title race with RC Lens breathing down their necks, they were given leeway by the French federation. The original schedule had PSG facing Liverpool on April 9, before a crucial league clash against Lens two days later. The Parisian club’s request for a postponement of the Ligue 1 fixture was granted. Lens objected, but to no avail. Arsenal do not enjoy such luxury. Not only is wealth distributed more evenly across the Premier League, but the competition is also significantly more demanding. This season, Arsenal were in a title race with Manchester City that went down almost to the wire. While fitness and fatigue may not be the only factors that determine success, they could easily prove decisive.
Champions League final: Less game time for stars may give PSG an edge vs Arsenal
