Bayern favored, but PSG on a mission

In this undated file photo, Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski attempts a shot at a goal during a Bundesliga match against Borrusia Dormund in Munich, Germany. (AP)

One team’s heartbreak will end, while the other squad’s would linger.

This season’s EUFA Championship League finals featured the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club and the FC Bayern Munich—two teams that had a series of misfortunes in the competition for the top-division European clubs.

Though it had won the Champions League five times, Bayern fell short in the recent years, losing its semis games for four straight years (from 2014-2018) and was eliminated by eventual winner Liverpool in the group stage in 2019. PSG, on the other hand, has been dubbed the early choker in the Champions League, having been booted out in the quarterfinals from 2013-2016 and in the Round of 16 in the next three seasons before making it to the finals for the first time in the franchise’s history.

The PSG-Bayern title showdown was scheduled for Aug. 23 (Aug. 24 at 5am Saipan time) at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal. By the time this piece comes out, we would have known who among the members of CNMI’s soccer community were right in selecting the champion of champions.

Bayern has the numbers
From the people polled by Saipan Tribune, Bayern got the most votes, 6-2. The stats also favored Bayern.

“FC Bayern shocked the football world as they humiliated Barcelona, 8-2, and their sixth European title is looking very difficult to bet against. The Bavarians put eight past the La Liga club, conceded two, and kept Lionel Messi quiet for the entire game,” MP United Football Club technical director Norman Del Rosario said.

“Bayern has been the most relentless offensive force in the competition so far, setting the pace in almost every significant statistical category per 90 minutes. The Bavarians boast the most prolific scorer in the Champions League, and perhaps the best striker on the planet in Robert Lewandowski, who leads all players in non-penalty expected goals per 90 minutes. ‘Lewa’ isn’t Bayern’s only weapon. They have Ivan Perišić, Thomas Müller, Philippe Coutinho, Serge Gnabry and Corentin Tolisso, who are in the Top 35 in non-penalty expected goals plus assists per 90 minutes. And of course, I would like to support the team of my ‘kababayan’ David Alaba,” he added.

For CNMI Men’s National Team coach Michiteru Mita and his assistant, Jersh Angeles, they both picked Bayern because the German club plays better as a team.

“Bayern is more collective as a team and they have better team discipline,” said Mita.

“Better and more organized in attacking and defending than PSG. They also have the better and more experienced GK [Manuel Neuer] since [Keylor] Navas from PSG might not play because of injury (hamstring). Bayern has the most organized and dangerous attacking team in UCL , but for sure it will be an exciting match,” Angeles said.

CNMI Women’s National Team assistant coach Angie Ito predicted the finals will be a blowout, while national player Thaiphi Austria agreed with Angeles that it will be a close one with Bayern on the winning end.

“How they keep possession and just move the ball simply is good. I think it will be a very close game considering how PSG is an amazing team as well, but I feel like Bayern will take this one,” said Austria.

“Looking at their team and how they’re playing for the past games, Bayern should be able to crush PSG,” Ito said.

In 10 games that Bayern and PSG played before the finale, the former had a sweep, while the latter won eight, lost one (versus Borussia Dortmund), and drawn one (against Real Madrid). Bayern scored 42 goals (average of 4.2 per match), while PSG had 25 (2.5 average) with Lewandowski leading the charge with his 15 against the 9 of PSG top gunner Kylian Mbappe. In goals conceded, PSG allowed 5 over Bayern’s 8.

Beating the odds
Besides the stats, history is also not on PSG’s side.

According to CBS Sports, the last six first-time finalists lost the championship game. Valencia fell to Real Madrid in 2000, Real Madrid did in again to Bayer Leverkusen in 2002, Monaco lost to Porto in 2004, Arsenal bowed to Barcelona in 2006, Chelsea was beaten by Manchester United in 2018, and last year, Tottenham faltered against Liverpool.

Only one team has so far prevailed in their finals appearance debut in the Champions League when the Borussia Dortmund topped Juventus, 3-1, in 1997. PSG hoped to be the second one and they had the right men to do that.

Task to beat the odds for PSG are Mbappe and Neymar, who joined the franchise in 2017 and have since been pressured to prove their worth on the club. Mbappe starred for France in their 4-2 win over Croatia in the 2018 World Cup finals in 2018, while after his controversial move from Barca to PSG, Neymar winning it for his new team would justify his transfer and the record-deal he got.

The presence of the two highly-skilled players on PSG’s side is enough for CNMI national player Sunjoon Tenorio and Kanoa Football Club coach Irish Pagarao to pick the underdogs. A healthy Navas (he was reported to have been practicing with the Paris team over the weekend) making a last-decision appearance in the finals would be key to neutralizing Bayern’s offense.

“As many people know, I am a big Neymar fan and he is my favorite player of all time. That being said, I will have to go with PSG. The safe answer would be Bayern, but Neymar and Mbappe show up when it matters most so I’m saying PSG, 3-2,” Tenorio said.

“Neymar and Mbappe are outstanding players with great skills and they always carry the team,” Pagarao said.

Neymar has scored six goals in this year’s Champions League and though a very good scorer, PSG benefits more from him being a decoy, as he leads the league in assists (24) since his debut in 2013 and has a passing accuracy of 71%.

Mbappe, though among the scorers on PSG, has an even passing accuracy (80%) than Neymar. He has also shown he has fully recovered from his ankle injury and determined to beat the odds for PSG.