It was Bayern Munich who came on top in Lisbon. With Kinsley Coman’s header at the 59th minute, the German giant took a 1:0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, winning the 6th UEFA Champions League title in the team’s history.
Bayern came into the final with a more intimidating record. The German side won 28 of the last 29 games, including a shocking 8-2 victory over Barcelona in the semi-final, which made the team more favorable in public opinion. However, PSG is never a side that can be considered as the underdog. Neymar, Mbappe, and Di Maria provide star power on the attacking side, while Thiago Silva and Marquinhos make sure the backline of the team is never easy to break down.
A Blistering First Half
Bayern’s tactics are no longer secrets up to this point. Flick’s team was all out on high pressing after the first whistle. The relentless running of Bayern’s front-line players gave PSG an extremely hard time in terms of getting the ball past the midfield. Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies’s left side put massive pressure on Thilo Kehrer, who was considered the weak spot of PSG’s backline. Fortunately for the French side, Thiago Silva was in excellent form. The Brazilian captain appeared in the right position in nearly every Bayern’s attempt in the first half. Other than Robert Lewandowski’s two attempts, Bayern did not find other clear-cut opportunities. On the other hand, PSG’s trident posed a huge threat in counter-attacks. Mbappe’s through pass was able to find Neymar in a one on one situation with Manuel Neuer. Lucky for Bayern, Neuer was able to save Neymar’s two consecutive shots, keeping the score at nil-nil. Although Bayern dominated the possession throughout the first half, PSG was able to put equal pressure on Bayern’s backline.
Thomas Tuchel’s Changes
Tuchel decided to make a change to PSG’s formation, switching Di Maria to the left as the Argentinian was struggling against Alphonso Davies. The decision turned out to be a turning point of the game. In the first half, Di Maria provided defensive support to Kehrer in the right-wing position. The switch of position completely exposed Kehrer to Bayern’s left side attacks. On the 59th minute, Kehrer was out of position, leaving Kingsley Coman unguarded at the back post. The French winger opened the scoreline with an easy header. Although Tuchel tried to make up for his mistakes, bringing up Verratti and had Herrera covering the right-wing, PSG was not able to find a way to score. Di Maria and Neymar showed their abilities to dribble past the defenders and deliver accurate passes. However, there was not center forward to deliver the last shot. Tuchel’s substitutions were rather confusing. The decision to sub Di Maria with Draxler while bringing up Choupo-Moting instead of Icardi, ripped off PSG’s chance to get level.
Conclusion
Bayern proved to be a better side, with more balanced lines and more consistent performance. PSG has the best and the most expensive front line in the world. However, the shortage of players on certain positions, especially the lack of wing-backs and center forwards, made the team vulnerable at both sides of the pitch. A search of a winger with defensive covering should already be on PSG’s future plan.
Congrats Bayern! What a finish of the strange yet special season.
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