Arsenal and Paris St-Germain meet in the Champions League final at Budapest’s Puskas Arena after long seasons. Arsenal play their 63rd match of the campaign, while PSG play their 56th, excluding seven at last summer’s Club World Cup. PSG’s stars are described as fresher because Luis Enrique has rotated key players in Ligue 1, supported by weaker domestic opposition and strong squad depth funded by Qatari ownership. PSG have played 16 Champions League games to reach the final, compared with Arsenal’s 14. Arsenal’s semi-final second-leg starting XI accumulated 6,726 extra league minutes. Marquinhos started 14 European games, while he had no league minutes from 13 February to 19 April, and PSG players like Dembele and Kvaratskhelia had limited full league minutes.
"Because of their 11th-place finish in the league phase, PSG have racked up 16 Champions League games to reach the final (winning a two-legged knockout phase play-off against French rivals Monaco), while Arsenal have played 14. Of those who lined up for the clubs' respective semi-final second legs, Mikel Arteta's starting 11 amassed almost 7,000 extra minutes of playing time in league games this season (6,726 to be precise)."
"Luis Enrique has rested many of his key players for Ligue 1 games this season, a luxury afforded to him by weaker domestic opposition and incredible squad depth built with the enormous financial backing of the club's Qatari owners. Because of their 11th-place finish in the league phase, PSG have racked up 16 Champions League games to reach the final (winning a two-legged knockout phase play-off against French rivals Monaco), while Arsenal have played 14."
"Les Parisiens' club captain Marquinhos has started 14 of those European games the same number of total appearances he made in the league (11 starts, three as a substitute). From 13 February to 19 April, the decorated Brazil defender didn't see a single minute of league action, remaining an unused sub in seven successive games. He played every minute of the holders' six Champions League fixtures in that timeframe."
"Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele completed 90 minutes in the league only once in 22 appearances. Fellow forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia played for the duration just twice in 28 matches. On 12 May, Dembele controversially won the Ligue 1 player-of-the-seaso"
Read at www.bbc.com
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