- On Sunday we will know the winner of the Champions League. Only Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain remained in the game for the title of the best team in the Old Continent
- – Let’s compare the reactions of PSG and Bayern players after the semi-finals. The players from Paris were enjoying, singing, it was almost partying. Bayern players on the contrary. Two minutes after the final whistle, Kimmich, Goretzka and Mueller sat together on the bench, analyzing what had gone wrong and what needed to be corrected. This shows what this team wants to achieve – says Marcel Reif, a German sports journalist, before the game
- Bayern is a better team when it comes to the bench as well, but PSG has individualities that can determine the outcome of the game. This is a 50v50 match. It is even good for Bayern that it is not a clear favorite as it was in the match against Barcelona and Lyon, because there was more pressure on him – adds Reif
Before we start with what the final could look like, I would like to ask you about the quarter-final match between Barcelona and Bayern. What was the bigger catastrophe: the 2: 8 defeat of Blaugrana or the Brazil national team 1: 7 with Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals?
Marcel Reif (German sports journalist): These are two different games. Brazil lost because it didn’t focus enough on defense. The young players did not withstand the pressure of the game in the semi-finals. It was driven by fans and the players themselves. Bayern’s meeting with Barcelona is a completely different story. Barca is a team too old, not hungry enough for success, and there is too much bad stuff going on around the team. How Real Madrid did not make changes in time when necessary. Barcelona is no longer a team. There is no future ahead of him and the Brazilian national team has had and has. She has failed everyone and is shattered.
In the semi-finals, Bayern faced a much better rival, Olympique Lyonnais, who caused him a lot of trouble. Where was the biggest problem in the game of the German champions?
Bayern left too much room at the start of the game to Barcelona and Lyon. Thanks to this, both teams created many opportunities for themselves. Bayern did not play a good match and still won 3-0. The question is, how will it look like it will perform well?
Let’s compare the reactions of PSG and Bayern players after the semi-finals. The players from Paris were enjoying, singing, it was almost partying. Bayern players on the contrary. Two minutes after the final whistle, Kimmich, Goretzka and Mueller sat together on the bench, analyzing what had gone wrong and what needed to be corrected. This shows what this team is trying to achieve. He’s not too old like Barcelona, not too young like Lyon. His focus is only on winning the cup.
Also read: Petition of fans regarding the Golden Ball for Lewandowski
PSG coach Thomas Tuchel is also a very good analyst. What do you think, what conclusions did he draw from the Bayern vs Lyon game?
Tuchel knows Bayern is not infallible. He has the biggest problems in defense. Lyon was very quick to attack and so is PSG. Tuchel’s problem, however, remains an uneven composition. The first eleven are doing very well. It includes players such as Di Maria, Neymar, Mbappe, but the players are twice as weak on the bench. The advantage of PSG is that this is only one game and anything can happen if Tuchel tries to take advantage of it.
Hansi Flick is doing a fantastic job at Bayern. Can we compare him with the greatest coaches in the club’s history?
It’s probably too fast for such comparisons. He’s doing a great job, but before we can put him next to Heynckes or Hitzfeld, he has to win the Champions League. Call me after Sunday’s game and I’ll answer that question. If he gets the Champions League … Yes, he will be one of the greatest coaches in Bayern.
In the final we will see the competition of probably the best players in the world today: Robert Lewandowski and Neymar. The talented Kylian Mbappe will also be on the pitch. Who do you think is better?
Mbappe is a completely different type of player, he is still young, he plays typically on the wing. He’s a fantastic footballer, but he has yet to grow up. There will definitely be time for him. He is currently not the same class as Lewandowski. Robert had the best season of them by far. Neymar was injured, he lost part of the season, the French league was canceled and he didn’t play again. He can make a difference on the pitch and it will probably also be like that on Sunday, but for me the best player of the year and that should be confirmed by FIFA is Robert Lewandowski. He is a complete player, the leader of Bayern. He takes care of the team on the pitch, not only himself. He used to be more self-centered, focused on his game and stats. Now he is grinning from ear to ear when someone else scores goals, as evidenced by Mueller’s goals.
Who do you think will win the final: Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain?
Bayern is a better team when it comes to the bench as well, but PSG has individualities that can make a difference in the game. It’s a 50v50 game. It’s even good for Bayern that he is not a clear favorite as it was in the game against Barcelona and Lyon, because he was under more pressure and everyone said: hey, your victory must be more convincing. Still, I would have given one percent more to Bayern to win.
Let’s enjoy this match because it will be a fantastic spectacle. It is a pity that without fans, because otherwise you play and watch the game when 80,000 people cheer. It is for them that this performance takes place.
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