Bayern Munich are European champions after beating PSG 1-0. Thiago Alcantara was the great architect of the Bavarian victory, alongside Manuel Neuer and Kingsley Coman.
The big night had finally arrived. PSG faced the biggest game in their history this Sunday, in Lisbon, on the pitch of the Estadio da Luz usually used by Benfica. After taking out Atalanta and Leipzig, Thomas Tuchel’s troops faced a big piece, Bayern Munich, who rode on FC Barcelona and then took out the OL without trembling too much. The German coach lined up the same eleven as in the semis, with the only novelty the presence of Keylor Navas in the cages, regaining his place in the starting line-up. Marco Verratti started on the bench while the attacking trio consisted of Mbappé, Neymar and Di Maria. On the other side, Hansi Flick was also betting on the classic, with the same starting team as against Lyon with the exception of Coman, who took the place of Perisic on the left wing.
The game started strong, with resolutely offensive formations. After some dangerous situations, the first real opportunity of the game was to be put on Neymar’s account. Mbappé found the Brazilian in the box, the latter followed up with a strike but Neuer pulled off a decisive intervention (18th). A first scare for the Bavarians, and the Parisians were going to shake a few minutes later, with a pivotal strike from Robert Lewandowski that crashed into Navas’ right post (21st). The match went crazy and behind, served by Ander Herrera, Angel Di Maria sent the ball into the clouds, yet well placed in the surface (24th)! On the same action, Jérôme Boateng had been injured and had to make way for S-le (25th). The Parisians were more and more comfortable, but were not necessarily serene behind, as on this header from Lewandowski in front of Navas (31st). We were witnessing a fairly rhythmic encounter, with two teams not really calculating.
Bayern dominated in the second half
Kylian Mbappé did not take advantage of Alaba’s error with a strike far too crushed and shy in the middle of the box, finally well caught by Neuer (45th). Behind, Gnabry, little in sight so far, forced Navas to take out a beautiful hand to cut a very dangerous center in front of the cages (45th-1). The Bavarians had regained control of the game at the end of the second period, thanks in large part to Thiago, imperial in the middle. The referee’s whistle was therefore more of a business for Thomas Tuchel and his men. On the return from the dressing room, Bayern continued their dominance, in terms of possession at least, but Paris Saint-Germain had tightened their lines.
But what was to happen happened. Kimmich, at the entrance of the box, placed a perfect ball on Coman’s head. The Frenchman turned his neck perfectly to send the leather to the bottom of the net (0-1, 59th). The Parisian titi was even close to doubling the stakes, again taking advantage of a poor placement by Kehrer in the box (62nd). Parisians had a hard time reacting when the Bavarians continued to attack. We were closer to 2-0 than 1-1. Di Maria still managed to offer Marquinhos a caviar in the box, but Neuer still put out a nice parade (70th). Bayern were well in the game, and the Parisians were close to equalising on Neymar’s cross which Choupo-Moting could not take back in front of Neuer (90′-2). One of the few opportunities in the second half. The biggest German club is therefore European champion for the fifth time in its history!
Man of the match: Thiago (8.5): a little erased at the beginning of the match, he quickly rose in rank to the point of dominating the game alone practically. It’s simple, the Spaniard played in an armchair, distilling a lot of good balls. We could see all his monstrous technical repertoire, with perfect controls, total mastery of short play or long play, an unusual vista and technical leadership that had sometimes been lacking until now. He was even very helpful in defensive tasks. An encounter that proves that he has finally reached maturity. Masterclass for his last game at Bayern. He came out in the 86th, leaving his place to Tolisso, who could not really show up in such a short time.
Paris Saint-Germain
– Navas (6.5): the Costa Rican goalkeeper had to wait until the half hour of play to be decisive and save his own from a tap-in at point-blank range on this header from Lewandowski (32nd). Shortly before the break, he was again heroic in intervening with authority on the ground on these two strong centres at the six meters that gave the Parisians chills (36th, 45-1). However, he could do nothing about Bayern’s opening score (59th).
– Kehrer (4): a very complicated match especially in the placement, the fault of a duo Coman-Davies twirling, which led to the opening of the Bavarian score on this perfectly placed head (60th). The Parisian right-hander who made good interventions on Coman (4th, 30th) sometimes responded in the impact imposed by the Bavarians. The German managed to combine offensively with his partners and deliver some dangerous centers (9th), but overall lacked inspiration (49th).
– Thiago Silva (6): the boss of the Paris defence showed all his leadership tonight, especially on this rescue on the line (62nd). Putting a lot of impact in his defensive interventions, he also tried to be at the origin of several Parisian actions, thus highlighting a surgical precision in his passes. If it did not benefit his team uninspired offensively, he will still leave PSG on this defeat in the final.
– Kimpembe (6.5): the Parisian titi has as often during the last big deadlines, makes his serenity speak through harsh interventions on the man (17th). Also present in aerial duels, especially on opposing corners (39th) and in several duels in the game with Lewandowski, thus saving his team (49th, 61st).
– Bernat (4.5): well present in the duels (42nd) and very comfortable with the ball ball ball to the foot, the Spaniard was able to demonstrate the full extent of his technique. However, he was not exempt from any reproach regarding his defensive positioning, leaving boulevards several times to the Bavarians (39th). Replaced in the 80th by Kurzawa who committed too many mistakes and reassured no one.
– Herrera (5.5): Despite several losses of dangerous balls that almost benefited the Bavarians (12th, 36th), when it was necessary to attack, the Spaniard nevertheless regaled with his quality of pass and his ease ball to the foot, impressive tonight (22nd, 36th) and was not even far from opening the score on this dry strike deflected by an opposing leg that took the direction of the goal (27th). Replaced in the 72nd by Draxler invisible during his twenty minutes of play.
– Marquinhos (4.5): If he had trouble steering the game in midfield, strangely losing several balls not far from its surface (37th), the Brazilian reassured with his decisive interventions thus ending big opposing opportunities (12th, 38th). He lacked composure in the finish on this shot pushed off the foot by the well-inspired German goalkeeper on this exit (70th).
– Paredes (5): Despite a lost ball at the start of the match (1st), the Argentine midfielder has as usual lately, regaled by his crosses, not far from being materialized by Mbappé but the latter lacked accuracy (12th, 15th). His brittle passes hurt the Munichers a lot tonight. Replaced in the 65th by Verratti who did not have the impact expected in the last half hour, although however his team was already not very well in the game.
– Di Maria (4.5): The Argentinian once again at times hurt his opposites and was not far from opening the scoring after this superb action led by Herrera and Neymar, but the latter nevertheless lacked inspiration when it had to be realized (24th). However, he did not have the same impact as on the good Parisian evenings, the fault of a block well grouped defensively. Replaced in the 80th by Choupo-Moting who was not far from equalising in the final moments of the match but it was too short to take back this center from Neymar (90-1).
– Mbappé (2): the Parisian rocket clearly lacked inspiration on the most dangerous action of Parisians in the first act. A missed strike that Neuer did not fail to capture serenely (45th). The impact of the latter was far too insufficient tonight. Nevertheless, the French striker tried to make his vivacity speak and put the Bavarian defence in trouble, only too rarely (8th). A very frustrating match for the French striker who clearly could have done better.
– Neymar (3.5): Overall discreet in this match, the Brazilian’s rare attempts at shots led to nothing (73rd). Sometimes nervous in this match, the Parisian number 10 was however at the origin of one of the biggest occasions in Paris, but Di Maria did not fit (24th). The playmaker very rarely carried the ball as he is so well used to doing, losing balls repeatedly especially in the second half. A match to forget for the Brazilian, which is not going to be easy.
Bayern Munich
– Neuer (8): The Manuel Neuer of the big nights. The German confirmed that he was back to his best by making a very nice copy, with a superb intervention in front of Neymar avoiding the opening of the Parisian score (18th), just as he achieved another feat by avoiding the 1-1 in front of Marquinhos (70th). Beyond these two decisive stops, he gave a sense of security and serenity throughout the meeting, responding as soon as he was asked.
– Kimmich (6.5): his qualities are no longer to be presented. Tonight he had a big piece in front of him in the presence of Kylian Mbappé, and overall, he was not really worried by the Frenchman, nor by Di Maria when the latter two changed sides. In attack, he was quite discreet throughout the game, but it was he who deposited a love of the ball on Coman’s skull for the opening score (59th).
– Alaba (6.5): The versatile Austrian had some mistakes behind, but overall, his performance was more than honest, being only very faulted by the Parisian attacking players, being well placed to mark. Serein in the revival also.
– Boateng (not rated): The experienced Bavarian defender struggled a bit early in the game against Mbappé and Neymar, but he quickly had to leave his side in the 25th minute. Niklas Sle (6) took his place. If one could fear for him, faced with the speed of the Parisian attackers in particular, he finally held up well and won the majority of his direct duels with his opposites.
– Davies (6): The Canadian left-back made a splash in This Final 8. Tonight, it took him a little while to get back into his game, and was a little more timid than usual in the first half, finally going up only a little until the last meters in Paris. He showed a little more in the second half, but he didn’t manage to be particularly dangerous. To his credit, he was probably instructed to remain vigilant so as not to be caught behind his back, and defensively, he played his role perfectly.
– Thiago (8.5): see above.
– Goretzka (5): he had shone in previous meetings. Tonight, we have perhaps seen, a little more blatantly in any case, its limitations on the technical level for an interplay player. Lots of bad transmissions, little forward play, and a feeling of being sometimes lost on the lawn. Day and night compared to his partner Thiago. It will have at least been valuable in cutting several transitions in Paris.
– Gnabry (5.5): he was on a small cloud before this match, but against the Parisians, the former Gunner had a little more trouble. Lots of technical errors and poor choices in the first half, against Juan Bernat that he did not really trouble. Not much better in the second half, unlike most of his partners, and he even seemed quite tense, like his tackle on Neymar (53rd). Replaced by Philippe Coutinho (68th), who tried to hurt the Parisians without really succeeding.
– Muller (5.5): the iconic German player didn’t really show himself to his advantage on Sunday night. Accustomed to encounters of this level, he has been more in search of balls between the lines, pressing to cause errors and trying to play deflected or first-line for his partners. Without much success, but he still weighed on the Parisian defense.
– Coman (8.5): Lined up on the left flank of the attack in place of Ivan Perisic, the PSG-trained player was very active. In the first half, he offered a lot of solutions, tried to make a difference many times. But it was far too imprecise. In the second half, he was a little sharper, and he opened the scoring in a real goalscorer’s register, as well as creating a lot of danger. The most decisive goal of his career. Kehrer’s going to have nightmares about it again. Perisic took his place in the 68th but didn’t really have an impact.
– Lewandowski (6): In the Paris area, the Polish goleador managed to create some interesting situations, such as this post on a beautiful pivotal strike (22nd), or this header repelled by Navas (32nd). In the second half, he was a little better taken at the marking… which has freed up space for its partners. He will not have had that reward of the goal, but he can be quite satisfied with his performance.
