2019-20 Champions League Finals – Bayern Munich vs. PSG

Paris Saint-Germain have finally made it to the Champions League Finals. For almost a decade, PSG were known as the underachievers of this competition. They failed to advance further than the quarterfinals despite being one of the perennial favorites, but at long last they can finally claim their first Champions League crown this year. Unfortunately, they will have to topple the club that has been the best in Europe over the last two months in Bayern Munich. The German giants are nearly odds-on favorites per the soccer betting odds in the Champions League Finals. This match will kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 23, 2020, at Estadio La Luz in Lisbon, Portugal. It will be broadcast on CBS All Access in the United States.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINALS BETTING ODDS

BAYERN MUNICH +104

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN +235

DRAW +260

O/U 3.5

HOW THEY GOT HERE

It’s been incredible to watch Bayern Munich over the last three months. They have yet to lose a match since the Bundesliga restarted in March, racking up 14 straight wins coming into this tilt.

Bayern Munich have been most impressive in the Champions League. This was the only club to finish the Group Stage with a flawless 6-0-0 mark, and they have won all four of their knockout stage matches by at least three goals, outscoring opponents 42-8 in their 10 total Champions League matches. The crowning moment was an 8-2 dismantling of Barcelona last Friday where six different players scored, including a player on loan from Barca in Philippe Coutinho.

As for PSG, they are hoping to become just the second French club to win the Champions League. They have been tested from the outset, having been placed in the same group as Real Madrid, but they slew their demons by erasing deficits in both the Round of 16 and quarterfinals. Their stunning 2-1 victory over Atalanta was a wake-up call for this club, spurring their 3-0 win over Red Bull Leipzig in the semifinals.

INJURY REPORT

Jerome Boateng came off early against Lyon in the semifinals for Bayern Munich, but he is considered probable to play in this match. Benjamin Pavard is expected to be available for selection too after the defender came off the bench on Wednesday.

PSG are unlikely to have Marco Verratti or Layvin Kurzawa available for the final, and Idrissa Gueye is considered a questionable due to a muscle injury. First-choice goalkeeper Keylor Navas is likely to play though, replacing Sergio Rico in net.

WHAT TO WATCH

These are two of the most potent attacks in football. Robert Lewandowski might be the best forward in the world at this point. His 15 goals in this year’s Champions League are five more than anyone else, and his play has been instrumental to Bayern Munich’s success.

Lewandowski is the primary finisher, but the fluidity of this attack is jaw dropping. Serge Gnabry has the third-most goals of any player in the Champions League after bagging a brace against Lyon, while Thomas Muller and Ivan Perisic continually provide crisp passes and deft touches to open up space. Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies terrorize defenders down the wings, keeping everyone Bayern has faced on the balls of their feet.

In trying to win international glory, PSG took a page from Real Madrid’s playbook. They opened their checkbook and splurged to bring in Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, and these two world-class talents are the key to their hopes of pulling off the upset per the Champions League betting odds.

Mbappe is close to 100 percent and looked like more of himself against Leipzig, while Neymar is hoping to silence the doubters and lead his team to a major title following his shortcomings with Barcelona and Brazil. There is no more terrifying player with a head of steam and open space than Mbappe, so Bayern’s gameplan will be to limit Mbappe’s touches as much as possible.

PREDICTION

It’s impossible to go against Bayern Munich at this point. They have looked indomitable throughout this competition, and they have a world-class goalkeeper in Manuel Neuer to boot.

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