PSG vs. Bayern Munich: Odds, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info for UCL Final
August 23, 2020
Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are no strangers to collecting trophies, but both have had trouble earning the UEFA Champions League crown in recent years.
Bundesliga champions Bayern have not won Europe's top club competition since 2012-13, while Ligue 1 winners PSG are looking for their first-ever Champions League crown.
Sunday's final in Lisbon marks the second time in the competition's history that German and French sides have faced off in its deciding game. Bayern defeated Saint-Etienne in that matchup in 1976.
The 2020 title clash could be one of the most high-scoring affairs in UCL history, with Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe leading the forward lines.
2020 UEFA Champions League Final Information
Date: Sunday, August 23
Start Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: CBS Sports Network
Live Stream: CBS All Access
Odds (via Caesars Palace): PSG, +225 (wager $100 to win $225); Bayern Munich, +100
Preview
Since arriving in Portugal for the quarterfinals earlier in August, PSG and Bayern have won games via their explosive attacks and strong defenses.
Les Parisiens outscored Atalanta and RB Leipzig 5-1, while Bayern torched Barcelona 8-2 and put up three on Lyon.
Lewandowski should receive most of the attention among the world-class forwards in both lineups. He leads the UCL with 15 goals, and an argument can be made that he has been the best player across Europe this season.
The Poland international has found the back of the net in each of the past three games and owns four goals and three assists from victories over Chelsea, Barcelona and Lyon.
Covering Lewandowski alone is a tough task for any defense, but unfortunately for PSG, they also have to deal with marking Muller, Serge Gnabry and others in a deep attack.
Gnabry is third behind Lewandowski and Erling Haaland in the UCL Golden Boot race, and he stuck three goals in the previous two matches.
Even the German side's defenders are lethal going forward—most notably 19-year-old Canadian left-back Alphonso Davies, who has been one of the breakout stars of this campaign.
Davies' speed could be one of the X-factors for Bayern on both ends of the pitch. His ability to get around defenders in one-on-one battles and his speed to chase down opposing attackers could create or prevent scoring opportunities over 90 minutes.
The MLS product will face one of the toughest assignments of his career against Neymar, Mbappe and Angel Di Maria. At least one member of that trio had a hand in each of PSG's five goals in its two knockout-round games in Portugal.
If Davies is able to take away one part of the attacking third, it could minimize the production of PSG's attacking triumvirate for stretches of the contest.
Juan Bernat and Thilo Kehrer will be have similar roles in the PSG defense, as they deal with the fluid movement of Lewandowski, Muller and Gnabry.
Even if the defenses turn in solid performances, the world-class attackers are good enough to take advantage of any chances they receive. After all, Bayern still let in two goals against Barcelona, and PSG conceded twice to Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 and gave up an early strike to Atalanta in the quarterfinals.
If the game remains close late into the second half, it could take one moment of brilliance from any of the attackers to make the final difference. Muller, one of a few remaining players from Bayern's most recent UCL triumph, could be the best candidate for that role since he has been a factor in a plethora of high-profile games for Bayern and Germany throughout his career.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from WhoScored.com.