Champions League final: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich — live

August 22, 2020

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich, Estadio da Luz
(Live updates here from Sunday, 20:00 CEST)

Hello and welcome to DW’s coverage of the 2020 Champions League final between PSG and Bayern Munich. Our liveblog goes LIVE at 20:00 CEST, but until then get the pre-match lowdown on all the major talking points. You can also read our Champions League final preview here.

Goals, goals, goals

Bayern Munich have been setting all kinds of records in this season’s Champions League. If they score three more against PSG, they’ll equal the record set by Barcelona in 1999/20 of 45 goals in a single campaign — although Bayern will only play 11 games, whereas Barca played 16.

Lewa on a rollWhile PSG have scored 25 goals in 10 games on the run to its first final, Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry have netted 24 between them as part of Bayern’s overall haul of 42. With 15 goals and six assists in Europe, Lewandowski is enjoying the season of his life. Only Cristiano Ronaldo — with 17 goals for Real Madrid in 2013-14 — has scored more in a Champions League campaign. “Lewandowski has been amazing,” Bayern winger Kingsley Coman said. “He has been the best player of the season and in the world.”

French resistance

French clubs haven’t had much success in the Champions League or European Cup. PSG become only the fifth French finalist and the first since Monaco lost to Jose Mourinho’s Porto in 2004, and only one of the previous four finalists have gone on to lift the trophy — Marseille in 1993.

Germany vs. Germany in the dugout

The instructions coming from the dugouts on Sunday will both be from Germans. Thomas Tuchel and Hansi Flick have never met before as head coaches and become the first all-German coaches in a Champions League final since the last all-German final in 2013, when Jürgen Klopp’s Dortmund were defeated by Jupp Heynckes’s Bayern. The president of the German coaching association, Lutz Hangartner, has been talking about the quality of German coaches at the moment.

“It’s no coincidence,” he said. “It’s rather proof that the training of coaches in Germany is very good. I remember what was written when German football was in the doldrums,” he said after no Bundesliga club reached the Champions League quarter-finals last season. “Now everything is good again? That’s not how it is. You shouldn’t live in extremes — but you can enjoy the moment.”

Flick lauds Bayern’s mentality

“The team has the mentality to do everything for victory. We can only win if we are at 100 percent. To measure yourself against the best is fun for every player. We have a plan and hope that we can implement it. Sunday is a special game.”

Flick won’t change approach

“We want to push through our philosophy. It distinguishes us and guaranteed our success. We will not change it. We must put pressure on the ball. PSG have a lot of quality, pace and top stars but we must not give them the space to play their passes.”

Expected line-ups

PSG (4-3-3): Rico; Kehrer, Thiago Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat; Marquinhos, Herrera, Paredes; Di Maria, Neymar, Mbappe

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, Boateng, Alaba, Davies; Goretzka, Thiago; Gnabry, Müller, Perisic; Lewandowski

Bayern Munich’s ups and downs in European finals

1974: First European title — over Atletico in Brussels

Sepp Maier holds the Cup high as Franz Roth (fourth from right) jumps for joy. Bayern Munich have just won their first European Cup — but they really had to work for it. After the final ended in a 1-1 draw, the teams had to face each other in a replay two days later to decide it. This time Bayern won easily, 4-0.

Bayern Munich’s ups and downs in European finals

1975: Repeat against Leeds in Paris

No wonder there was a charged atmosphere at the Parc des Princes! Not only did the referee fail to award Leeds a clear penalty after a foul by Bayern’s Franz Beckenbauer, but after the English side scored, he called back the goal for no apparent reason. Bayern capitalized with a 2-0 win on goals by Franz Roth and Gerd Müller (right), who is trying to calm down the fiery Billy Bremner.

Bayern Munich’s ups and downs in European finals

1976: Threepeat against St. Etienne in Glasgow

Bayern Munich’s third consecutive European Cup final victory isn’t exactly a spectacular one either. Opponents St. Etienne had two attempts come back off what was then still a square post at Hampden Park. The photo shows the only goal of the match, as Franz Roth beat Ivan Curkovic with a free kick in the 57th minute to give Bayern the 1-0 victory.

Bayern Munich’s ups and downs in European finals

1982: Losing to Aston Villa

Karl-Heinz Rummenige, Dieter Hoeness and Paul Breitner (left to right) are clearly not amused after Bayern Munich fell to English League champions Aston Villa. This time, luck was not on their side: they dominated play, but Dieter Hoeness’ goal was disallowed for no apparent reason. England international Peter Withe scored the only goal Villa would need for the victory.

Bayern Munich’s ups and downs in European finals

1987: Defeat in Vienna

Another bitter European Cup final defeat for Bayern, as the German side blows a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 to Porto. Having taken the lead on 25 minutes, the Bayern train started to come off the rails with this legendary back-heel goal by Algeria’s Rabah Madjer (second from left) in the 77th minute. Four minutes later, Juary would get tthe winner for a 2-1 final for Porto.

Bayern Munich’s ups and downs in European finals

1999: United strike twice in injury time

Bayern Munich’s first final of the Champions League era was even more bitter. Up 1-0 for most of the game, Manchester United won a corner as the contest entered injury time and Teddy Sheringham equalized at the death. Incredibly, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer quickly scored a second to win it for United deep into injury time. Bayern captain Stefan Effenberg (right) can’t believe what has just transpired.

Bayern Munich’s ups and downs in European finals

2001: Valencia vanquished in Milan

Two years later, Bayern Munich were back in the final and this one had a very different outcome. After Bayern and Spanish outfit Valencia remained level at 1-1 following extra time, the match had to be decided on penalties. Goalkeeper Oliver Kahn (holding the trophy aloft) made three saves in the shootout to help Bayern to their first Champions League title.

Bayern Munich’s ups and downs in European finals

2010: Milito sinks Bayern in Madrid

Diego Milito (right) spoiled Bayern Munich’s evening at the Santiago Bernabeu as their defense simply couldn’t contain the Argentine striker. Milito scored both goals in a well-deserved 2-0 win for Inter, who were coached by Jose Mourinho at the time.

Bayern Munich’s ups and downs in European finals

2012: Losing to Chelsea at home

It could hardly have been more bitter than this as Bayern lose to Chelsea in Munich. With the score tied 1-1 after extra time, the match needed to be decided in a shootout. Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer stopped the first penalty, but Chelsea were flawless from then on. Then Ivica Olic was foiled by Chelsea keeper Petr Cech, while Bastian Schweinsteiger (photo) saw his effort come back off the post.

Bayern Munich’s ups and downs in European finals

2013: Victory in all-German affair in London

Arjen Robben is the hero in the all-German final at Wembley. The Dutch striker scores the winning goal in the penultimate minute to give the Bayern a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund, then coached by Jürgen Klopp. After having won the Bundesliga and the Champions League, Jupp Heynckes’ side would go on to win the German Cup to complete the treble.

Author: Andreas Sten-Ziemons