The biggest night in European football is here. The 2020 edition of the Champions League Final will take place on August 23, Sunday (August 24, 12:30 am IST) between French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Germany’s Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
PSG defeated Germany’s RB Leipzig 3-0 in the semi-finals while German champions Bayern defeated the French side Lyon 3-0 in the second semi-final.
PSG and Bayern Champions league final appearances
Underdogs PSG vs football giant Bayern
PSG, with the help of its Qatari owner’s money, has been able to change its fortune in the last few years. However, it failed to join the elites of Europe till now. The Thomas Tuchel-led side can make history on Sunday night. On the other hand, Bayern has won the Champions League five times already and is a football dynasty. The last Champions League title came in 2013, and under Hans-Dieter Flick, the German side could add its sixth to its list.
Clash of titans
Nonetheless, a final with Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria, Mauro Icardi on one side and Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich on the other, this tie is nothing less than best we could have asked for.
PSG’s road to the final
PSG’s Uefa ranking: 7
Match record this season:
- Played: 10
- Won: 8
- Drawn: 1
- Lost: 1
- Goals scored: 25
Bayern’s road to the final
Bayern won its group before defeating Chelsea 7-1 on aggregate in the second round. Then decimated Barcelona 8-2 on its way to the semi-finals where it defeated the French side Lyon 3-0 to set up its final clash against PSG.
Uefa ranking: 2
Match record this season:
- Played: 10
- Won: 10
- Goals scored: 42
Top scorer: Robert Lewandownski (15)
Probable line-ups
Paris Saint-Germain
Goal Keeper: Sergio Rico
Defenders: Thilo Kehrer, Thiago Silva, Presnel Kimpembe, Juan Bernat Velasco
Midfielders: Marco Verratti, Marquinhos, Ander Herrera
Forwards: Angel Di Maria, Neymar Jr, Kylian Mbappe
Bayern Munich
Defenders: Joshua Kimmich, Jerome Boateng, David Alaba, Alphonso Davies
Midfielders: Leon Goretzka, Thiago Alcantara
Forwards: Serge Gnabry, Ivan Perisic, Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski
Players to watch out in Champions League final 2020
PSG will be depending on the Brazilian star, for whom they paid 263 million dollars to Barcelona to help them win the coveted title it has long waited for. Neymar has been impressive for the French side this season, although he has not been exactly prolific in goal scoring. His partnership with French star Mbappe can be devastating for the German side. He will also be hoping to win the final to justify his move to France and show it again why he is considered one the best player of all time.
Kylian Mbappe
The 21-year-old French football star has already shown why he is considered as a player who will dominate the world football like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi have for the last few years. He again proved this season why is he worth 180 million euros after he scored and assisted crucial goals against Atlanta and RB Leipzig on the road to the Final. His pace, finishing ability is something the Bayern side should be worried about.
Robert Lewandowski
Serge Gnabry
Serge Gnabry has been a revelation this season. The German star, who played for Arsenal, West Brom before moving to Germany and securing a switch to Bayern, has impressed the football world with his exploits. He has scored 9 goals this season in the Champions League, with some world-class goals against Lyon in the semi-final. He also scored 4 goals against his former club Arsenal’s rival Tottenham Hotspurs and a goal against Barcelona in the quarters.
Previous meetings
PSG and Bayern have clashed 11 times in the European competition all in the group stage. The French side has won 5 times while the German side won thrice. The last two times these two teams met was in 2017, when Bayern defeated 3-1 and lost 3-0 to PSG.
Prediction
Champions league final 2020 match prediction
Our prediction is 3-2 in favour of PSG.
PSG vs Bayern Live streaming details, Venue details
The match will be live on SonyTen 2 SD, HD at 12:30 am IST on August 24. It will also be streamed live online on the SonLiv app.
The match will played at the Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica in Lisbon, Portugal. The stadium is also known as the Estadio da Luz (stadium of light). It is the home stadium of 37-time Portuguese champions Benfica.
It hosted the 2014 Champions League final that Real Madrid won after defeating rivals Atletico Madrid.