For the first time since 1998, the Champions League final will feature two teams who entered the competition as domestic champions.
Bayern Munich, five-times Champions League winners, are back in the final for the first time since 2013 after ending a streak of four losses in the semi-final stage with Wednesday’s comfortable 3-0 win over Lyon.
Gnabry, Lewandowski fire ruthless Bayern into Champions League final
UEFA Champions League: Di Maria leads PSG past Leipzig to first ever final
Bayern have been on fire in Europe, crushing all obstacles on their way to the final of the 2020 UEFA Champions League final.
They are the favorites to lift the trophy on Sunday night in Lisbon to cap a scintillating season after claiming the Bundesliga trophy earlier.
However, Paris Saint-Germain are in a dream land and they want to wake up with the trophy after a long chase.
PSG have reached the final for the first time, having struggled to translate their dominance of the French league into a real challenge in Europe until wins over Atalanta and RB Leipzig secured their place.
They have reached only their third major UEFA final.
They have all the players to make it happen but the question is; “Is this finally their year?” Will their stars turn up this time?
Neymar, the main man
Neymar and Kylian Mbappe will be key to PSG’s hopes of beating Bayern.
Neymar’s scintillating displays of skill has already lit up the Estadio da Luz.
However, on Sunday, he stands potentially 90 minutes away from completing his mission.
The 28-year-old scored in the 2015 final for Barcelona and could become only the third player to score in the final for two different teams, along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Mandzukic.
In 19 Champions League appearances for PSG, Neymar has been directly involved in 23 goals, scoring 14 times and assisting nine.
Neymar traded the Nou Camp for the Parc des Princes having been instrumental in consigning PSG to La Remontada in 2017 and with Kylian Mbappe subsequently making his move from Monaco permanent the follow summer for £163m, this is a side that was bought at an exorbitant cost in order to reign across Europe.
How it will pan out in Lisbon
Remarkably, Bayern have only been behind for 22 minutes this calendar year.
Lyon were the better side in the opening 15 minutes of Wednesday’s semi-final but failed to take their chances.
However, PSG may not prove so generous.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have scored 136 goals this season and often look to bury teams by half-time.
Atalanta were choked long before Angel Di Maria doubled PSG’s lead on Tuesday – and the same approach may be taken in spite of the superior opposition.
Tuchel, who has lost more matches in his managerial career against Bayern than any other team, will call on his fleet-footed forwards to exploit Bayern’s weakness at the back.
Mbappe, in particular, presents a real problem given his lightning speed from the left flank.
Neymar’s ability to make runs from deeper positions and Di Maria’s ability to pick them out with the perfect pass mean Bayern’s back-line will be tested on Sunday.
On the other hand, Bayern boss, Hansi Flick, has shown no inclination to alter his approach.
The Bundesliga outfit play an aggressive pressing game, pinning back their opponents, maintaining pressure on their defence and making it difficult for them to move the ball through the midfield.
“Paris [PSG] are a great team,” the Bayern coach said.
“We will analyse some things, we know they have quick players.
“We will look to organise our defence, but we know our biggest strength is putting our opponents under pressure.”
Bayern’s hope is hinged on their chief marksman, Robert Lewandowski, who leads the tournament’s scoring charts with 15 goals this season and has found the target 55 times in all competitions.
Serge Gnabry is another player that’s capable of making things happen around the opposition’s box.
Then there is the 19-year-old left-back, Alphonso Davies, who has been the most exciting young player in the tournament.
Team news
PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas is facing a race to be fit for the final.
Tuchel may well be tempted to field the same starting PSG line-up that thrashed against Leipzig.
Idrissa Gueye (muscular), Layvin Kurzawa (thigh) and Keylor Navas (thigh) are all doubtful.
PSG will hope to start with goalkeeper Navas and midfielder Marco Verratti if the duo can prove their fitness.
Mauro Icardi may have to make do with a role on the substitutes’ bench after Angel Di Maria excelled on his return to the side.
Jerome Boateng (knock) is the only doubt for Bayern Munich, and should he be declared fit, Flick is likely to field an unchanged team.
Bayern will have to call upon Niklas Sule should Boateng be ruled out but Lucas Hernandez and Javi Martinez are other options.
Flick may be tempted to reinstate right-back Benjamin Pavard and push Joshua Kimmich up into midfield ahead of Leon Goretzka.
Opta stats
Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have met eight times previously, all in the UEFA Champions League group stages – Paris SG have won five of those matches, with Bayern winning the other three, including the most recent game in December 2017.
This is Paris Saint-Germain’s first ever European Cup/Champions League final, becoming the 41st team to reach the showpiece final.
The last six teams competing in their first final have all lost, with the last first-time winner being Borussia Dortmund in 1997 against Juventus.
Bayern Munich have reached their 11th European Cup/Champions League final, with only Real Madrid playing in more (16). They currently have five titles, the fourth-best tally behind Real Madrid (13), AC Milan (7) and Liverpool (6).
Paris Saint-Germain have reached only their third major UEFA final, previously doing so in the 1995/96 and 1996/97 Cup Winners’ Cup, winning the former 1-0 against SK Rapid Wien and losing the latter 1-0 to Barcelona.
PSG are the fifth French side to reach a European Cup/Champions League final, and first since Monaco in 2004. Only one of the previous four has been victorious, with Marseille winning 1-0 against AC Milan in the 1993 Champions League final.
Bayern Munich are looking to become the first team in the history of the European Cup/Champions League to win 11 in a row – the previous two instances of a team winning 10 in a row were Bayern themselves (April-November 2013) and Real Madrid (April 2014-Feb 2015).
Robert Lewandowski (alongside Serge Gnabry) is looking to become the fifth player to score in the group stage, round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final in a season, after Diego Milito (Inter, 2009/10), Messi (Barcelona, 2010/11), Ronaldo (Real Madrid, 2013/14) and Sadio Mané (Liverpool, 2017/18).
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