Bayern Munich are your new UEFA Champions League winners. The German giants beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 on Sunday night to claim their sixth trophy of the most important European club competition.
The game itself was a nerve-wracking contest that saw both sides having periods of domination on the pitch. PSG especially had good chances via attackers Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, who got their shots stopped by in-form Manuel Neuer. Still, neither team managed to get an edge in the first half, which ended with an unpopular 0-0 result.
The second period also saw back-and-forth game, but this time Bayern managed to capitalize. Midfielder Joshua Kimmich delivered a cross from the top of the box, finding Kingsley Coman on the back post. Coman, who spent his early career with PSG, struck a well-placed header and got the ball into the net to give his team a lead in 59th minute.
PSG tried to get an equalizer, with manager Thomas Tuchel making several attacking-minded substitutions and inserting Julian Draxler and Maxim Choupo-Moting instead of Ander Herrera and Angel di Maria. Still, Bayern took over the control of the match at that point, and limited the opponent’s attack with high pressing and great coverage.
The French powerhouse had one last life-line in the added time thanks to the two-man game by Mbappe and Neymar in the penalty box, but the Brazilian striker sent the ball wide past goal.
Besides lifting their sixth UCL trophy, and first since 2013, Bayern Munich also made the history of the competition by getting all wins in the process. The achievement was especially significant, considering that the team also won domestic Bundesliga and German Cup, rounding up the fabled “treble.”
“I am proud of this team,” said manager Hansi Flick after the game. “When I started in November I read the headlines: ‘No need to fear or respect Bayern Munich anymore’, ‘The team is awful.’ But the development of my team since then has been sensational. We made maximum use of everything. It is not easy to win three titles. It was hard work.”
