This Saturday's Champions League final will start three hours earlier than usual, following an initiative announced by UEFA last summer. The match between the trophy holder, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal will take place at the Puskás Aréna, in Budapest, with a capacity for 67,000 spectators, and has a new kick-off time: 6pm CET (12pm ET, 5pm BST), instead of the traditional 9pm CET (3pm ET, 8pm BST). According to European football's governing body, the change aims to ensure a "more accessible broadcast window", "better access to public transport" and a "safer and more convenient return journey" for fans. UEFA added that ending the game earlier offers host cities a "boost" to the event's positive economic impact by allowing fans to celebrate after the final whistle. It is not the first time that the men's final has been adjusted: in 2010, UEFA moved the decisive game from Wednesday to Saturday. On the field, PSG arrives in Budapest after winning Ligue 1, the European Super Cup and the French Super Cup this season. In the current Champions League campaign, the Parisians have only two defeats in 16 games — 2-1 at home to Bayern Munich (November 4) and 2-1 to Sporting (January 20) — both in the league phase. On the other hand, Arsenal won the Premier League last Sunday, 22 years later, and remain undefeated in the Champions League this season. It is the Gunners' first appearance in a season final.
proof since May 2006, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona.