PSG captain Marquinhos gave his teammates a blunt warning on the eve of the Champions League final in Budapest: Arsenal’s set pieces could decide the game, and Paris must be ready for anything at the Puskas Arena. The defender said PSG know how dangerous Arsenal can be from dead-ball situations and that the final could turn on a detail.
Marquinhos and Ousmane Dembele handled official pre-match media duties on Friday as PSG prepared to defend the European crown they won last season in Munich. The Paris side have scored 44 goals in this campaign, but Arsenal arrive with only six goals conceded in 14 continental fixtures and the reputation of an undefeated run in Europe, a record that explains why the warning from the PSG captain landed with such weight.
Marquinhos said the occasion carries the same hunger as the last time PSG lifted the trophy, adding that once a player has won the Champions League, he wants to feel that moment again. He said he still remembers the dressing-room emotion from the previous final and pointed to the support around the squad, including fans traveling by car and his father, who was making the trip with some friends.
The match also adds a rare layer of history. It will be the eighth meeting between the clubs in all competitions and the first-ever major European final played between English and French teams. PSG and Arsenal have met often enough to know each other’s patterns, but Marquinhos stressed that the finalists cannot know which moment will swing the game until it happens.
That is where the friction sits for PSG. They go into the final as champions trying to repeat the feat, while Arsenal’s defensive record has made them one of the toughest sides in Europe to break down. Marquinhos said PSG must keep the same motivation and the same approach that carried them through last season, because in a final the details are often the only thing that matters.
On Saturday in Budapest, the question is not whether PSG understand the danger. It is whether they can stay sharp enough on the small margins, from Arsenal’s set pieces to the last decisive touch, and leave the Puskas Arena still holding the title.
