On Sunday, one of the most bizarre ECU football seasons in memory, however, will come to an end when Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Bayern Munich face off in the Champions League final.
The respective champions of France and Germany will compete in the European club’s top prize at Lisbon East-dio da Luz.
Here are five things you want to know about the game.
They’re both in terrifying shape.
As usual in recent years, PSG and Bayern have won their national leagues in a gallop this season. PSG had a 12-point lead when the league was eliminated in France and then crowned champion. This is the club’s seventh name in Ligue 1 in 8 years.
Bayern, for their part, finished thirteen numbers ahead of Borussia Dortmund. He has now won 8 Bundesliga titles in a row and is on a streak in all 28-win competitions and one draw.
On their respective paths to the Champions League Final, things were easier for Bayern. The Bavarian club has scored 42 goals in 10 games of the competition, adding the remarkable 8–2 win over Barcelona in the quarter-finals. PSG needed two goals to defeat Atalanta in the quarter-finals before a regimen victory over RB Leipzig to prepare for the final.
The attackers are among the world’s
The spearhead of Bayern’s tough attack is striker Robert Lewandowski. Considered by many to be the most productive number nine in the world, the Polish striker has scored 55 barely credible goals this season, the highest number of European players. For him, the experienced Thomas Muller remains a risk and Serge Gnabry is living the season of his life, with nine Champions League goals adding a biscuit in the semi-final against Lyon.
On the other hand, the PSG boasts Neymar, frustrating but undeniably brilliant. The Brazilian is the top player wanted in the World Cup and one of the best. The 28-year-old will desperately want to win his first name in the Champions League since winning with Barcelona in 2015. If Neymar manages to link up with the explosive Kylian Mbappé, the PSG has a real chance of harming Bayern.
Defences give opportunities
While both finalists are clearly very good sides, neither has a completely watertight defence. Bayern’s win against Lyon was comfortable in the end, but the French side had some good chances in the match. Bayern should have Jerome Boateng back from injury at centre-back but the high line the team play could be ideal for Neymar and Mbappé to exploit.
PSG will rely on the midfield shield of Marquinhos and Ander Herrera to protect their back four from Bayern’s attackers. The centre-back pairing of Presnel Kimpembe and Thiago Silva is solid but not infallible. It is a huge game – and likely his last for PSG – for Silva, who at 35 is susceptible to pacey counter attacks.
Exciting other young people can make a difference
Mbappé has the possibility to do anything that neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved, and at only 21 years old. If PSG succeeds, it will be registered in the exclusive club of players who have won the Champions League and the World Cup. The ultra-fast leader will be a key player for the PSG, but is immune to any tension of the big game.
Bayern’s flying side, Alphonso Davies, is another great customer. Still a teenager, Davies has been a revelation this season and is already considered one of the most productive left sides in the world. Davies is about to be the first Canadian men’s player to play in a Champions League final: Kadeisha Buchanon and Ashley Lawrence competed in the 2017 Women’s Champions League final.
The story is on Bayern’s side
Bayern are looking to win their sixth name in the Champions League and have reached the top flight 10 times. His top recent victory in 2013 and also won the trophy three years in a row, in 1974, 1975 and 1976, and back in 2001.
PSG, on the other hand, is in their first Champions League final. However, the French club is pleased that it is Bayern’s first highest since 2013. And the PSG holds the most productive record against others, with five wins in club matches in this competition.
As a Senior Contributor for Forbes, I write about sports business with a particular focus on the world’s most popular sport – soccer (football). My articles cover