Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich Combined XI | UEFA Champions League 2019-20
Paris Saint-Germain are set to appear in their first UEFA Champions League final as they will take on five-time winners Bayern Munich in Portugal.
The French and German champions have made their way through to the finals after beating a list of blockbuster names. Unlike many participants and inspiring underdog stories in the past, they did so by playing expansive, attacking football, as opposed to looking for the decisive goal and shutting up shop.
PSG got past fellow free-scoring sides Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta Bergamo in the first two knockout rounds, before cutting through underdogs RB Leipzig in the semi-finals. Goals from Marquinhos, Angel Di Maria and Juan Bernat helped Thomas Tuchel seal the game against his former protege, Julian Nagelsmannn.
His compatriot Hansi Flick, on the other hand, has been rampant right from the very moment he took over the reins from Niko Kovac. Bayern Munich under the German have looked like a different team altogether, as Flick has sparked the squad back to life and they've performed better than they have in previous seasons. A compelling case can be made for over half the Bayern squad having their best season to date, including the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller.
Bayern were pitted against Chelsea in the first knockout round, and the Bavarians got past them without breaking a sweat, putting seven goals past them over two legs. Barcelona were up next, and the game ended in a historic scoreline as Bayern put in a clinical display to find the back of the net eight times against them. Olympique Lyon's valiant effort in the semi-finals wasn't enough as Bayern cruised past them with a 3-0 win.
As the domestic giants of France and Germany are set to battle each other for European supremacy, here, we take a look at the best combined XI of available players from both teams.
GK: Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich
While both Manuel Neuer and Keylor Navas have had commendable seasons in goal, the latter suffered an injury in the quarter-finals against Atalanta due to which he was subbed off. He couldn't recover for the semi-finals, and with it looking all but likely for Navas to be fit for the final, Neuer takes this one.
That being said, even based on pure merit, the German has been unbeatable in the UCL so far, rolling back the years with several stunning saves for Bayern. The 34-year-old came up clutch in the semi-finals against Lyon, making a string of vital saves. Although Les Gones will rue their woeful finishing, if it wasn't for Neuer and his commendable experience, the Frenchmen could have easily had a couple of goals on the night.
Neuer will have to be at his very best to keep the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at bay in the final.
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