After nearly a year of competition, the 2020 Champions League Final’s participants have finally risen their way to the cream of the crop. This year, two of the top European sides in Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich will do battle on Sunday night in Lisbon to determine the top team in Europe this season.
The winners of Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga will square off in a battle that is sure to go down as one of the best CL finals in recent memory, and there is no clear favorite in most people’s eyes.
The attacking duo of Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe has set Europe on fire over the past three seasons, and they will finally have the chance to bring PSG its first Champions League title.
On the other hand, Europe’s top goalscorer in Robert Lewandowski and a solid all-around cast of veterans and young talent alike will look to bring Bayern’s sixth Champions League trophy back to Bavaria, and its first since 2013.
Most sportsbooks and experts have Bayern as a slight favorite to win Sunday night’s final, but is that what we should expect?
In attack, it’s hard to give either team the edge. PSG has frustrated and blown past defenses all season with Neymar and Mbappe healthy, and it would be a mistake to not pay attention to talents like Angel di Maria and Mauro Icardi who have also been huge for the Parisians in their run to the final.
Bayern Munich, though, has Europe’s top goalscorer in Robert Lewandowski, who has found the net 15 times in 9 Champions League matches this year. A deep wealth of other scorers also stands behind him including Serge Gnabry and Philippe Coutinho.
Where things start to look a little more uneven is in the midfield. Bayern holds the edge here, as the world-class combination and depth of players like the brilliant Thiago, the speedy Alphonso Davies, and the always-reliable Leon Goretzka keeps things steady both in attack and on defense.
Defensively, it’s hard to give either team an edge. The back 4 isn’t the strong suit of neither PSG nor Bayern, as they mostly do their best to keep things solid in the back on the rare occasion that other teams slip in.
Another point in Bayern’s favor is the fact that they have arguably the best keeper on Earth in Thomas Muller, who continues to show his brilliance at the age of 34. Even though Keylor Navas should be back in the net after missing the semi-final match for PSG, Bayern has the clear edge at this position.
With all of these things being considered, Bayern Munich is the likely winner of what should be a thrilling game. As for my personal prediction, I’ll take the Germans by a 2-1 final score.
