Bayern sets up PSG showdown
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Bayern Munich鈥檚 astonishing form under Hansi Flick has taken the club to the brink of a treble after it dispatched Lyon 3-0 in Wednesday鈥檚 UEFA Champions League semifinal, and the stage is now set for a fascinating final battle between the German giant and Paris Saint-Germain.
鈥淭his is what you dream of as a footballer 鈥 playing against the best in Europe. And we鈥檙e able to do that, I鈥檓 excited,鈥 Bayern鈥檚 Canadian full-back Alphonso Davies told BT Sport.
Flick鈥檚 team once again confirmed what an unstoppable attacking force it can be at Estadio Jose Alvalade as Serge Gnabry鈥檚 first-half brace took the Germany winger to nine goals in nine UCL appearances this season and Robert Lewandowski鈥檚 late goal left him on 55 altogether for the campaign.
The Bavarians are the first team to win their first 10 matches of an UCL campaign and now hope to make it 11 out of 11 when they face PSG. They exude confidence, as you would expect for a side on a run of 20 straight victories overall.
鈥淣obody scares us, we are Bayern Munich. We have had a great season and now we need to finish it off by winning the Champions League,鈥 said defender Benjamin Pavard.
But Bayern is clearly vulnerable. It plays with such a high line that there is always a risk it will be caught out.
Memphis Depay and Karl Toko-Ekambi both missed glorious chances to put Lyon ahead before Gnabry opened the scoring. Kylian Mbappe, Neymar or Angel Di Maria may not be so profligate come Sunday.
鈥淲e know that there is an element of risk in the way we play. We play a very high line and it鈥檚 not easy to defend, but we will analyze it and try to do better against Paris,鈥 admitted David Alaba.
It promises to be a fascinating final, between two super-clubs who gorge on winning everything domestically to the extent that one defeat in Europe can become an all-consuming drama.
PSG has won seven of the last eight French titles and has just completed a fourth domestic treble in six seasons.
Bayern is fresh from winning the German league and cup double. It has won the Bundesliga in the last eight seasons.
These are the fourth and fifth-richest clubs in the world, according to the most recent Deloitte Football Money League.
Bayern鈥檚 turnover last season was 660.1 million euros (US$781.9 million). PSG, propelled to the forefront of the European game under Qatar鈥檚 ownership, was just behind with 635.9 million euros. Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United stood above them.
The stage is set, then, for a super-club showdown between two teams not used to failure.
Bayern has won the trophy five times before although it has also been a losing finalist on five occasions, including twice in the last 10 years.
It knows how painful defeat in a UCL final is. PSG, on the other hand, is preparing for its first ever final in the competition. But the French club will not be there just to enjoy the occasion.
Even super-clubs cannot take getting to a UCL final for granted. But both are powerful enough to know they will probably get the chance again in future.
For Lyon, in contrast, such a stage is maybe just beyond it. Twice now it has got to the semifinal only to be well beaten by Bayern.
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