It is the last game and the absolute highlight of a long, unprecedented season for FC Bayern: On Sunday evening (from 21:00 CEST in our live-ticker and free web radio on fcbayern.com), the men from Munich will contest the Champions League final against French champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. After winning the German championship and the DFB Cup, they can secure the treble for the second time in the club’s history. “We want to be the kings of Europe,” was how Thomas Müller formulated the Bavarians’ final mission on behalf of his teammates. In our preview, you can find out everything you need to know about this major event.
The situation
The self-confidence of Hansi Flick’s team could hardly be greater ahead of the clash with Paris. Like no other team in Europe, they were able to cope with corona-related breaks in competitions and the special challenges of this extremely long season, and always kept their sights on their goal. 28 wins from the past 29 games (one draw) speak for themselves. In addition, the Reds played perhaps the best season in the history of the Champions League with ten wins from ten games and numerous attacking records. But everyone at FC Bayern knows that, even with all these successes, you can only achieve immortality if captain Manuel Neuer is presented with Ol’ Big Ears on Sunday evening. “That’s why we’re trying to do our best, because if everyone is at 100 percent, we can win the game – but only then,” explained Flick.
Ahead of the final against PSG – Images from Bayern’s final training session
The opponents: Paris Saint-Germain
This season’s first-time finalists, PSG, won everything there was to win at national level: the quadruple of the championship, French Cup, League Cup and Supercup is already on display in the club trophy cabinet, but in the capital of the Grande Nation they will only be really satisfied when the big goal of winning the Champions League is finally achieved. The footballing class of the team, which is packed with world champions and exceptional talents, is beyond question, and now German coach Thomas Tuchel has also managed to make individualists like Brazilian Neymar put the team’s success first. The last-minute win over Atalanta (2-1) in the quarter-finals certainly gave the Frenchmen an extra boost for their mission. In addition, PSG have become a bit of a bogey team for German sides in this competition, having already knocked out Borussia Dortmund in the round of sixteen and RB Leipzig in the semi-finals. The very teams who came second and third in the past Bundesliga season. “I expect an evenly-balanced match with two top teams who deserved to reach the final,” said Joshua Kimmich, leaving no doubt as to who will win the title: “Now we intend to take that trophy home,” said the 25-year-old.
Paris Saint-Germain profiled
Team news
Right on time for the big final Hansi Flick can draw on almost his whole squad. Benjamin Pavard is fit again after his foot ligament injury and has already gathered some match practice as a substitute in the semi-final against Olympique Lyon. The Bayern head coach left it open, however, as to whether the French World Cup winner will be able to make it into the starting eleven: “I don’t quite have the confidence yet that he’s at 100 per cent and that I can play him from the start,” the 55-year-old explained. Just as with Jérôme Boateng, who had to come off against Lyon due to muscular problems, Flick wanted to put him through an “endurance test” in the final training session and then think about the final line-up together with his coaching team.
PSG coach Tuchel also has only a very few team selection worries before the final. “Marco Verratti and Idrissa Gueye trained with us after the match against Leipzig without any problems,” the 46-year-old revealed. “We’ll make the decision on Keylor Navas after training,” Tuchel continued, referring to PSG’s 33-year-old regular keeper, who due to injury had to give way to his deputy Sergio Rico in the 3-0 semi-final win over Leipzig.
What the coaches say
Hansi Flick: “PSG are a top team with a lot of pace and very good players – not only in attack, but especially in defence with Thiago Silva and Marquinhos. They’ve only conceded five goals in the Champions League, so you can see that not only the attack but also the defence is effective. We’re looking forward to tomorrow’s game because it’s obviously a highlight. That’s why we’re trying to do our best, because if everyone is at 100 percent, we can win the game – but only then!”
Thomas Tuchel, Paris Saint-Germain coach: “Bayern have not lost the last 29 games and they are very, very strong. But there are always spaces and opportunities to be found. In a final it’s important to find a mixture of being free and trusting your own strengths.”
Check out what Hansi Flick and Joshua Kimmich had to say ahead of the final:?
The referee: Daniele Orsato
Daniele Orsato will take charge of the final in Lisbon. The 44-year-old Italian has officiated in three of the German record champions’ games in Europe’s premier competition so far. In addition to a 2-1 win over Seville in April 2018 and a 5-1 win over Benfica at the end of November 2018, he was also involved in last season’s 3-1 defeat by Liverpool. Orsato has been a FIFA referee since 2010 and will be taking charge of a major final for the first time.
