PSG vs Bayern Munich Preview: How to Watch on TV, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
By Mitch Wilks
Paris Saint-Germain face Bayern Munich in what will be the French club's first time in the Champions League final this Sunday, having easily dispatched RB Leipzig in the semi-final.
Bayern have looked a completely new monster under the management of Hansi Flick. They stormed to an eighth consecutive Bundesliga title and have blitzed their way through the reworked knockout stages in the Champions League, smashing Barcelona 8-2 over 90 minutes in the quarter final.
PSG will be no pushovers, however. It's taken some time, but the one leg, knockout tournament style has finally allowed them to reach the summit of Europe's elite competition for the first time ever, after years of significant spending in the transfer market.
Lisbon's Estadio da Luz is set to host an exciting final between two incredibly strong teams. While PSG are staring down the barrel of a very explosive gun in Bayern, this could be the best chance they'll get to lift the trophy.
Where to Watch
When Is Kick Off? Sunday 23 August
What Time Is Kick Off? 20:00 (BST)
Where Is it Played? Estadio da Luz
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport (UK), fuboTV (US)
Referee? Daniele Orsato
Team News
After such a convincing win against what is usually an impressive RB Leipzig side, PSG head coach Thomas Tuchel will likely be reluctant to change his starting XI too much.
Kylian Mbappe is once again fit enough to start after making his comeback from an ankle injury against Atalanta in the quarter final. Marco Verratti returned from a calf injury as a substitute against Leipzig, and could be in line to start this weekend.
Keylor Navas is a still doubt after missing the semi-final with a thigh injury, while Idrissa Gueye and Layvin Kurzawa remain unavailable.
Flick can enjoy an almost fully fit squad to pick from, although it's unlikely the Bayern boss will change too much if he can avoid it.
Defender Jerome Boateng was forced off with an injury in their semi-final victory over Lyon, but could yet be available for the final on Sunday. He was replaced by Niklas Sule, who has recently recovered from a ten-month injury lay off and is available once more.
Elsewhere, Bayern have a plethora of options and with so many players in such good form, competition for a spot in the XI is higher than ever.
Predicted Lineups
PSG: Navas; Kehrer, Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat; Marquinhos, Herrera, Verratti; Di Maria, Neymar, Mbappe.
Bayern Munich: Neuer; Kimmich, Boateng, Alaba, Davies; Goretzka, Thiago; Gnabry, Muller, Perisic; Lewandowski.
Recent Form
Bayern's path to the final has been the talk of the town in recent weeks. They're yet to lose a game in all competitions since the restart and clinched the Bundesliga in style with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Wolfsburg, before closing off the domestic season by winning the DFB Pokal.
Over the course of 90 minutes, Die Roten have proved unstoppable thus far. Despite their defence looking shaky at times, their attacking prowess and high intensity play style has proven too much for Chelsea, Barcelona and most recently Lyon.
PSG have a lot of work to do to halt the German champions, but they've been in fine form themselves. They made light work of Leipzig in the semi-final with a better than expected 3-0 win, and closed out their domestic season last month by winning the Coupe de la Ligue and the French Cup. Their Ligue 1 season came to a premature end back in April following the outbreak of the coronavirus, thus they were crowned champions by default.
Here's how both sides have fared in their previous five fixtures...
PSG
RB Leipzig 0-3 PSG (18/8)
Atalanta 1-2 PSG (12/8)
PSG 1-0 Sochaux (5/8)
PSG 0-0 Lyon (PSG won 6-5 on penalties) (31/7)
PSG 1-0 Saint Etienne (24/7)
Bayern Munich
Lyon 0-3 Bayern Munich (19/8)
Barcelona 2-8 Bayern Munich (14/8)
Bayern Munich 4-1 Chelsea (8/8)
Bayern Munich 1-0 Marseille (31/7)
Bayer Leverkusen 2-4 Bayern Munich (4/7)
Prediction
With both sides heading into the final off the back of five consecutive victories each, the stakes couldn't be any higher.
Bayern have the chance to mark a new era of dominance by winning Europe's ultimate prize, putting the cap on an incredible season of work and ending a drought of seven years with no European trophy.
Meanwhile, PSG have it all to prove; all the money spent has finally put them in with a chance of becoming champions of Europe and not just France. Dispatching of a white hot Bayern Munich side would thus silence any doubters.
The game will be end to end with both teams desperate to win, but wary of each other's threat. PSG have the talent in Neymar, Mbappe and Di Maria, but ultimately Bayern have the experience and the extra legs to dispatch of the French champions over the course of 90 minutes.
The Germans will surely be crowned winners of the 2020 Champions League.
Prediction: PSG 2-4 Bayern Munich