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As it happened: Bayern Munich beat Paris St-Germain to win Champions League final

Bayern claim sixth European crown by defeating PSG in Lisbon final



Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski celebrates at the final whistle
Image Credit: AFP
Neymar in tears after Bayern Munich defeat PSG
Image Credit: Reuters

BAYERN 1 PSG 0

Bayern party with the trophy as Neymar ponders on what might have been. 

FULL-TIME: BAYERN 1 PSG 0

Kinsgley Coman is the unlikely hero for Bayern as they claim their sixth European crown. Well played. PSG had them on the ropes for periods in the first half, but their pressure, and with no little help from the majestic Manuel Neuer between the sticks for the Germans, won the day (night). Well deserved in the end...

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FULL-TIME: BAYERN MUNICH ARE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS!

BAYERN 1 PSG 0

Back into frenetic mode as Bayern are again denied a Lewandowski penalty claim before PSG cannot make the extra man count on the counter attack.

BAYERN 1 PSG 0

Neuer has to get man of the match. How his spider legs keep that out from Mbappe, who was clean through. Brilliant by the German keeper.

BAYERN 1 PSG 0

Thiago Silva goes into the book as he cynically takes out Lewandowski. If anyone will score, it will be Bayern now. Disappointing how Neymar and Mbappe have not stepped up since the goal.

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BAYERN 1 PSG 0

Frustrations boil over for Neymar as he ends up in the book for chopping down Lewandowski. Thomas Tuchel brings on  Eric Maxim Choupo-Motingfor Angel di Maria. Last throw of the dice?

BAYERN 1 PSG 0

Manuel Neuer is proving why he is one of the best keepers in the world as he not only stops everything PSG throw at him, he also mops up the half-chances with a cool head and marshals his defence like he is doing the Sunday shopping. PSG running out of answers and time. 

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BAYERN 1 PSG 0

PSG keep pushing, but one feels this will not be the night for them to break their duck (screen grab opp!).

28 minutes to find a leveller, or cue more Neymar tears. 

BAYERN 1 PSG 0

Coman's night is over as Ivan Perisic comes on in his place. Philippe Coutinho is also on for the anonymous Serge Gnabry. Bayern going for the kill. 

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BAYERN 1 PSG 0

Almost 2-0 as Coman is in again. He connects with a fine cross from  Thomas Muller but Thiago Silva comes to the rescue with a block.

GOAL! BAYERN 1 PSG 0

Nope, it isn't Lewandowski. Kingsley Coman - yes, that guy I was slating - stoops to head past Keylor Navas. What do PSG have in response?

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

The 60-minute mark appriaches. Who will blink first in the dug-out and make an attacking switch? In my book, both sides are doing mighty fine. 

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BAYERN 0 PSG 0

Oooh. Fight, fight, fight! Serge Gnabry taps Neymar on the shin pad and the Brazilian goes for a roll. Cue, lots of shoving and handbags. Poor from Neymar as he has shown his talent by staying on his feet in this tournament. You are better that that, Neymar. Much better...

KICK-OFF: BAYERN 0 PSG 0

Here we go again. 45 mins to get a winner. If it stays 0-0 and goes to extra-time, I will eat my hat! (Not wearing a hat).

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BAYERN 0 PSG 0

The fans are catching their breath. Gavin Stewart in Johnstone, Scotland, thinks Bayern will still come out on top, despite the PSG scares. He is going for 3-1. What do you think? 

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

On reflection, that 'half-hearted' penalty appeal just before the break had a mite more meat in it than I thought. Bayern can feel hard done by as Kingsley Coman was taken down by Thilo Kehrer. Hmmmm!

HALF-TIME: BAYERN 0 PSG 0

Still time for a half-hearted Bayern penalty appeal. This game has been the epitome of end-to-end action. I reckon it could be at least 3-3. Instead we are goalless at the break. More of that, please!

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

Oh Mbappe. Oh PSG. The Bayern goal is at their mercy, but the French side take too many passes before Mbappe hits it straight at Neuer. 

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

I take it back. Kingsley Coman is whipping in some seriously deadly crosses form the left now as Bayern look to use their aerial threat. Some pinball follows around the Bayern area, but still no breakthrough. 

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

My word. Keylor Navas stops Lewandowski from point-blank range to deny the Germans! That has goal written all over it as the Pole got his head on the ball only a few yards out. No goals but a brilliant game so far.

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

Unlucky. PSG's Ander Herrera fires a shot on target from a free-kick, but his teammate Thiago Silva gets in the way and it spins behind for a goal kick.

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

Ouch. Early change for Bayern as  Jerome Boateng, and injury doubt, pulls up. Niklas Sule on in his place. Alphonso Davies then in the book for holding on to Kehrer.

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

And nearly another at the other end as Neymar does brilliantly to dance through the defence before Angel Di Maria blasts over with just Neuer to beat. Breathless stuff.

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

So close for Bayern to open the scoring. Robert Lewandowski does it all himself, bringing the ball down, spinning to unleash the shot. Navas is beaten but it comes off the post. The Pole has his head in his hands, he thought he had scored. 

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

And there is that exposure of Bayern's defensive tactics. Neymar is through on the left, fed in by Mbappe, and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer stands up well to block, before then clearing the Brazilian's follow up out for a corner. Risky!!!

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

Kingsley Coman, preffered on the left wing to Ivan Perisic for Bayern, is struggling to get on the end of the balls coming his way so far, as another eludes him and rolls out for a goal-kick.

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

A lovely ball releases Bernat on the left, but Bayern block a couple of half-chances. Mbappe then sees his effort charged down. PSG are certainly going to give their all tonight. 

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

PSG get forward to sniff out that high Bayern line, but it's holding firm at the moment. As they push forward, the French side are almost caught out at the back but Thomas Mueller cannot get a shot away. 

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

Despite the threat posed by PSG's front line, Bayern are unwavering in their high defending. They were nearly caught on many occasions by Lyon in the semi-final. Will PSG punish them? 

BAYERN 0 PSG 0

Bayern make the early forays, but deep defending from PSG keep them at bay. Both sides would love an early goal to sellte the nerves.

KICK-OFF: BAYERN 0 PSG 0

We are under way. Both teams in their traditional 'home' colours, Bayern all in red and PSG in their dark blue. 

BAYERN v PSG

A straw poll of followers indicates a sneaking suspicion PSG might nick this tonight. "Nemar and Mbappe will expose Bayern's high line and exploit Neuer's deficiencies," Martin O'Neill, all the way from Eastbourne, tells me. You heard it here first - well second, because I just heard it. 

BAYERN v PSG

So, shall Bayern continue their utter dominance of opponents - including the 8-2 whupping of Barcelona - or shall Neymar continue his rich vein of form and silence the German juggernaut? 10 minutes to kick-off. 

BAYERN v PSG

In another common theme between the opponents, two gents named Thiago could be playing their last games for their respective clubs as Thiago Silva is heading to new pastures from PSG and Bayern's Thiago Alcanatra is a wanted man in the Premier League, with Liverpool, Manchester City and - apparently - Arsenal interested.

BAYERN v PSG

While we await the pomp and tickertape ahead of the kick-off, some interesting transfer bites for you to chew over...

PSG fans in Lisbon ahead of the final
Image Credit: AFP

BAYERN v PSG

There are no fans allowed in the Estadio Da Luz Stadium for the match tonight, due to that COVID-19 pandemic, but that hasn't stopped plenty of fans making their way to Portugal nonetheless. Hope they are behaving

I mentioned that this could be a sixth European crown for Bayern, but they haven't won it since 2013, mainly thanks to that pesky Ronaldo and Real Madrid mopping up so many. The Germans would love to get ahead of Barcelona in the pecking order. And, incidentally, join Liverpool on six.

So are the footy fans used to the 'new normal' yet?

"It has certainly been different since we restarted." says Craig Leader, manager at Crown & Lion, Byblos Barsha Heights. "The earlier restart of the Bundesliga certainly helped the fans get used to the situation, and help the TV broadcasters get their sounds and transmission right.

"It was a shame we missed out on the Euros, but the European leagues managing to get to completion, then the Europa League and Champions League means we only have a few weeks to wait to the start of next season proper, and everyone will be in the swing of what to expect."

BAYERN v PSG
TEAM NEWS

Keylor Navas resumes in goal for PSG, having missed the semi. Bayern opt for Kingsley Koman over Ivan Perisic on the wing. Interesting...

PSG: Navas, Kehrer, Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat, Herrera, Marquinhos, Paredes, Di Maria, Mbappe, Neymar.
Bayern: Neuer, Kimmich, Boateng, Alaba, Davies, Thiago, Goretzka, Gnabry, Muller, Coman, Lewandowski.

BAYERN vPSG

Both sides had commanding 3-0 wins in the semi-finals. Bayern managing to quell French upstarts Lyon, while PSG saw off German upstarts RB Leipzig (3-0, French v German... I see a pattern emerging).

BAYERN v PSG

Just under an hour to kick-off. It's a clash of German coaches in the dug-out. Will Hansi Flick's rejuvenated Bayern march to a sixth European crown, or will Thomas Tuchel and his expensive mob upset the applecart a little and give the Paris club their first title?

Of course, this will be a final like no other, not only because of its delayed occurence. The match was originally to be played at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. But the coronavirus pandemic forced Uefa to move all matches from the last-eight stage to Lisbon. 

There is no Messi, no Ronaldo, no Salah, no Aguero. But we are not short on firepower tonight as Bayern's born-again frontline of Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Mueller and Serge Gnabry take on the stellar trio of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria of PSG.

Good evening from Lisbon (Dubai, really)! After 12 months of footy (and a very lenghty COVID-19 enforced break) we are eventually at the Uefa Champions League showpiece event. Bayern Munich, who have swept all in Germany this season, take on Paris St-Germain, who have - erm - swept all in France this season.

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