With the UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal just one week away, Paris Saint-Germain conducted an intensive internal training match this Saturday. While the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé and Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi did not participate in this friendly scrimmage, there is reportedly no cause for concern regarding their availability for the highly anticipated clash with Arsenal.
As planned, PSG aimed to maintain peak match fitness at their Campus de Poissy facility today. Following coach Luis Enrique’s announcement after the recent 2-1 Ligue 1 defeat to Paris FC, an inter-squad friendly took place for over an hour, reportedly at a high tempo.
No fitness worries for dembélé and hakimi ahead of arsenal showdown
Two teams, designated ‘black’ and ‘white,’ competed in an eleven-a-side format. Although the final score was not disclosed, Ibrahima Mbaye and Vitinha were among the goal-scorers for the white team. Approximately 1,000 passionate ultras and a hundred children, guests of the club, provided a final surge of encouragement to the Parisian squad before their crucial encounter with the Gunners. A banner displayed by the Collectif Ultras Paris proudly declared: “Once is historic. Twice is legendary,” underscoring the team’s ambition to retain the Champions League title.
Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi were the sole absentees from the internal match. Hakimi, who sustained a thigh injury during the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich (a 5-4 victory on April 28), focused on individual training. Dembélé, meanwhile, remained under medical care due to calf discomfort experienced last Sunday against Paris FC. PSG officials are reportedly unconcerned about both players’ conditions and are taking no unnecessary risks. It is widely expected that Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi will be fit to start against Arsenal on May 30 in Budapest for the Champions League final. Club President Al-Khelaifi, Sporting Advisor Luis Campos, Coach Luis Enrique, and the entire playing staff received a rousing ovation from the PSG ultras, whose focus is already firmly on the upcoming fixture against the Gunners.
