Article 103 — Champions League Semi-Finals Review, Final Preview
On to the Champions League semi-finals that were played on the 18th and 19th August 2020 in Europe and the morning after in Singapore/Malaysia time zone.
The first one to take place was between two clubs that are backed by wealthy owners, Germany’s RB Leipzig and France’s Paris Saint-Germain. Both clubs court controversy for either the manner of their takeover and circumvention of the rules (RB Leipzig) or for “buying” their way to success and concerns at a human rights level in the owner’s native country (Paris Saint-Germain). They are both clubs that you can either love or hate, nothing in between.
That aside, as a footballing team, they are both teams that play very good, positive, modern football. RB Leipzig has been unbeaten in their last seven games while PSG has won all three of their matches against German opposition in this competition. PSG proved to be too strong for their German opponents as they comprehensively beat them 3–0 to progress to the final for the first time in their 50 year history. It was also their first appearance in the final of a European club competition since the 1996–97 European Cup Winners Cup final. It was also the first appearance in the final of the Champions League for a French club since Monaco in 2003–04.
The second semi-final was between another French team, Lyon and the perennial German champions, Bayern Munich. Lyon ended the season in a mediocre 7th position of a league campaign that ended abruptly due to the Corona Virus outbreak but has sprung two surprises already in this competition knocking out Juventus and Manchester City. The last time they got to this stage of the competition, it was in 2009–10 and against the same opposition, Bayern Munich.
Bayern beat Lyon in a mirror image of the score from the other semi-final, 3–0 to qualify for their 11th Champions League final appearance. While the score might be alike, this game was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests. The difference between both teams laid in the ability to convert the chances they got. Bayern took their chances while Lyon missed a number of chances to score.
The final on Sunday in Europe, early Monday morning here would be between PSG and Bayern. At long last, PSG has qualified for the final of the Champions League. Winning the Champions League has been the ultimate goal for PSG since they became newly rich with the influx of Qatari money. Now they are just one step away from winning it. Bayern has been to 11 Champions League/European Cup finals and won it 5 times.
Bayern’s form has got a lot of attention more so after smashing Barcelona 8–2 in the quarter-final. They have won all ten matches in the competition so far and scored the most number of goals in the competition. After winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, they are now one final away from replicating their 2012–13 Treble.
PSG have won a domestic Treble and are a step away from completing a Quadruple. It will be an even final between two confident, in-form, domestically dominant teams. Both teams would have attackers that are in very good form but Bayern has a player that is in the form of his life, Robert Lewandowski. I feel this match will be won at the other end of the field, in defence. Neither team is known for their defensive prowess but on paper at least, Bayern has the better goalkeeper in Manuel Neuer. He was crucial in keeping out Lyon in the semi-final.
In theory, this match should be 50–50 but I feel the odds would marginally be in Bayern’s favour. Their defence can be their undoing though and while they have displayed some very good football going forward, they need to be able to keep it out at the other end against players of high quality like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria. Neuer would have a crucial role to play in ensuring his team keeps out PSG.
Personally, I would want Bayern to win the final but as a neutral, I hope I will be entertained in the final.
