German Clubs

LISBON — Bayern Munich's success in reaching the final of the Champions League has been built on a very distinct tactical approach but it is one that carries big risks against Paris Saint-Germain, leaving coach Hansi Flick with a major dilemma.

Bayern play an aggressive pressing game, pinning back their opponents, maintaining pressure on their defence and making it difficult for them to move the ball through the midfield.

LISBON — If any player has felt perfectly at home during the unique circumstances surrounding the climax to this year's Champions League, it is Paris Saint-Germain's Argentine winger Ángel Di María.

As soon as UEFA decided that Portuguese capital Lisbon would host the quarterfinals onwards in a mini-tournament, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Di Maria felt good vibes.

The retooling of Barcelona is continuing at a frantic pace with the firing of Quique Setién and hiring of Ronald Koeman as manager and the firing of Eric Abidal and hiring of Ramon Planes as technical director, but you can’t say that the club’s specter isn’t still haunting this season’s Champions League with former player Neymar and current loanee Philippe Coutinho set to do battle in the final. 

Bayern Munich has no time for trifling sympathies. Bayern Munich is going to destroy everyone in its path.

Serge Gnabry scored twice in the first half and Robert Lewandowski provided his obligatory goal in the second as the German giants stifled Lyon 3-0 on Wednesday in Lisbon to advance to the Champions League final. Bayern will play Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday for the completion of an unorthodox but epic 2020 Champions League season.

Missing a Borussia Dortmund match in 2020-21 is going to be a form of sacrilege. We already knew, heading into last season, that Jadon Sancho was a pièce de résistance sort of footballer capable of uplifting your weekend. By January, Erling Haaland had proclaimed himself as Paul Bunyan’s only begotten son, increasing the joy of having BVB on your television set.

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said radical changes were needed from top to bottom after his side were annihilated 8-2 by Bayern Munich on Friday to exit the Champions League in one of the Catalan side's darkest ever nights.

"We feel devastated, although shame is the real word I'm looking for. We cannot afford to compete like this because it's not the first, the second or the third time that something like this has happened," a tearful Pique told reporters after the quarter-final drubbing, their worst ever result in Europe.