Neymar vs Lewandowski, but not only as Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich clash for Europe’s top trophy
On Sunday, the European football season comes to a close as Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich battle it out for 90 minutes – or more – at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz for Europe’s top title – the Champions League final.
Both teams are in fine form – having dominated and won their respective domestic league. For PSG, it was the club’s seventh Ligue 1 title in eight years, while for Bayern Munich, it was the eighth league title in a row. In the Champions League, though, Bayern Munich have performed better. While PSG needed two late goals to beat Atalanta in the quarter-final and struggled a bit against RB Leipzig in the semi-final, Bayern Munich demolished Barcelona 8-2 and in total have scored 42 goals in 10 games in the competition.
The two teams are strong in all departments. Bayern Munich’s attacking power is fuelled by Robert Lewandowski, who has scored an impressive 55 goals this season – more than any other player in Europe. His partner-in-strike, Thomas Muller, scores important goals, while Serge Gnabry is enjoying a brilliant season. PSG rely on the brilliant – but temperamental – Neymar and 21-year-old Kylian Mbappé, whose explosive runs are always a threat to any defence.
In midfield, PSG have Ander Herrera and Marquinhos, who can attack and defend with equal prowess, while Bayern Munich have experience and talent in the form of Javi Martinez and Leon Goretzka. At the back, Bayern have Jerome Boateng returning from injury – and he should prove precious, together with Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies, in trying to stop Neymar and Mbappé. PSG’s centre-back pairing of Presnel Kimpembe and Thiago Silva is effective – and it is probably Silva’s last game for PSG, and he will want to exit on a high. The two keepers – Manuel Neuer and Keylor Navas – are both solid, though the latter is still in doubt.
For PSG, this is their first Champions League final ever – yet they have plenty of experience, especially against the German champions. In fact, PSG have the better head-to-head record against Bayern Munich, with five wins from previous matches between the two clubs in this competition. Bayern Munich, though, have Champions League experience, having reached the final 10 times, winning it five times.
The final will be a spectacle, with plenty of stars to watch. For added excitement, sign up for a €10 no deposit bonus offered by Meridianbet. This promotion is exclusive to Malta and can only be used for sports betting. To avail of this bonus, new players need to create a new account with Meridianbet. After creating a new account, this is verified – and new players get the €10 bonus without any additional conditions. Click here for more information and to sign up.
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