Paris Saint-Germain have had league games postponed to give players extra rest before Champions League matches against Liverpool and Chelsea this season. The French club will enjoy the same advantage against Arsenal in the tournament's final, according to football.london.
Final Showdown in Budapest
Both Arsenal and PSG will compete in Budapest as the Champions League season concludes. PSG are the defending champions, having defeated Inter 5-0 in last year's final. Arsenal have reached the final only once before, in 2006.
Mikel Arteta's team finished their Premier League-winning campaign on Sunday against Crystal Palace. However, PSG last played on May 17, losing 2-1 to rivals Paris FC. This means Luis Enrique's squad will have had 13 days to prepare for the final, while Arsenal, buoyed by their league title, will have had only six days.
Previous Rest Advantages
PSG have benefited from similar scheduling earlier in the tournament. In the Round of 16 against Chelsea, the first leg took place in Paris on March 11, with the return leg at Stamford Bridge on March 17. PSG requested and received permission to postpone their Ligue 1 match against Nantes, originally scheduled for March 14, to April 22. PSG subsequently beat Chelsea 5-2 at home and 3-0 away. Nantes' manager expressed displeasure over the fixture change.
Before the quarter-final against Liverpool, PSG again requested a postponement of their league match against RC Lens, scheduled for April 11 between the two legs. The LFP granted the request, giving PSG six days of rest between legs, while Liverpool had only three days after playing Fulham on April 11. Lens, who were one point behind PSG in the title race, opposed the move and released a strong statement criticizing the league for prioritizing European commitments. The match was moved to May 13, and PSG advanced past Liverpool 4-0 on aggregate.
Title Success
PSG won the Ligue 1 title by six points, defeating Lens 2-0 earlier this month. After overcoming Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, they will face Arsenal with a full seven-day rest advantage.
