Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich will lock horns in the 2020 Champions League final on Sunday night, and it promises to be a fascinating affair between two in-form teams.
Bayern have beaten Chelsea, Barcelona and Lyon in the knockout round of the competition to advance to the final, while PSG have overcome Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta BC and RB Leipzig.
PSG are bidding to win the competition for the first time in their history, but Bayern have lifted the European Cup on five previous occasions, most recently in 2012-13.
Some of the world's biggest stars will be on display in Benfica on Sunday and with that in mind, Sports Mole picks a combined XI from both squads, using only players available for the game.
Keylor Navas could yet prove his fitness to start for PSG, which would be a huge boost for the French champions, but it is very difficult to overlook Manuel Neuer between the sticks in this XI. The 34-year-old has been in excellent form for Bayern this term, keeping 21 clean sheets, including five shutouts in 10 Champions League outings, and it is not too difficult to select the German in goal here.
The full-back positions were also relatively straightforward to select. Indeed, Alphonso Davies has been in wonderful form for Bayern this season, contributing three goals and 10 assists from left-back, including four assists in seven Champions League outings. Davies's teammate Joshua Kimmich gets the nod at right-back, meanwhile, as that is expected to be the case on Sunday despite Benjamin Pavard's recent return from injury.
Thiago Silva is set to end his long association with PSG this summer, but the Brazilian has been key to his side's success this term, and the veteran is one of the two central defenders in this XI, getting the nod over Bayern's Jerome Boateng and Niklas Sule, who has not played enough football this season to be considered. David Alaba takes the other spot, with the Austria international largely operating as a centre-back this term. There is speculation surrounding the 28-year-old's future, and he scored an own goal against Barca in the quarter-finals, but the Austrian is deserving of a spot in this side, completing the back four in the process.
The midfield two are both from PSG, with Marquinhos getting the nod alongside Marco Verratti, meaning that Bayern pair Thiago Alcantara and Leon Goretzka both miss out. Marquinhos has scored in PSG's last two Champions League games against Atalanta and Leipzig, and the Brazilian, who is primarily a central defender, is needed for balance in this side. Verratti, meanwhile, made his return from injury as a late substitute against Leipzig and could now come into the team. The 27-year-old has actually not scored a single goal this season but is certainly capable of controlling the game from the middle of the park.
Further forward, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar are part of the three just behind the main striker, and there was never any possibility of either player being left out of the XI. Mbappe has scored 30 times and registered 19 assists in 36 appearances at club level this term, while Neymar has 19 goals and 12 assists in 26 appearances. The former provided assists in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals, while he has scored three times in his last five Champions League appearances. Mbappe, on the other hand, has five goals and six assists in this season's European Cup and is perhaps the player Bayern fear the most.
Serge Gnabry, meanwhile, gets the nod over the likes of Thomas Muller and Angel Di Maria in the number 10 position. The former Arsenal youngster has scored 23 times and registered 14 assists in 45 appearances for Bayern this season, including nine goals in nine Champions League outings, scoring a brace against Lyon in the semi-finals, in addition to registering against Barca in the incredible 8-2 success.
The final spot in the team was always going to Robert Lewandowski, who has enjoyed a remarkable season, scoring 55 times and registering 10 assists in 46 appearances in all competitions. The Poland international has 15 goals and six assists in nine Champions League outings this term, meanwhile, and will be determined to fire the German champions to European silverware in Portugal on Sunday night.
Matt Law
