Keys to victory for PSG in Champions League Final against Bayern Munich
It's go time, ladies and gentlemen. For the first time ever, Paris Saint-Germain will be playing in the Champions League Final.
On Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, the Ligue 1 champs will look to prevent Bayern Munich from winning the tourney for the first time since 2013, and their sixth overall. That task is much easier said than done.
So, leading up to the action, here's a look at three keys to victory for Paris Saint-Germain going up against the Bundesliga powers.
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• Angel Di Maria repeating his semifinal performance: Did you catch how well Di Maria played in the semis against RP Leipzig? Not only did the Argentine midfielder score a goal to extend PSG's lead, but he also dominated the middle of the field.
His outstanding passing abilities were showcased from start to finish, making life easier for Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and the rest of the team. If Di Maria can maintain that spectacular form against Bayern, it'll make a huge difference.
• Somehow contain left back Alphonso Davies: This year, Bayern's Alphonso Davies has emerged as one of the best left backs in the world. A former MLS Vancouver player, who thought he'd be able to play this great so quickly? Davies was a beast in the 3-0 win over Chelsea in London, and was superb against Barcelona in the quarterfinals.
His assist (video below) went viral and for good reason. For the PSG defense, they can't give him too much space to operate in. They've got to do everything possible to try and slow him down, because if he's in a position to fire in a cross to Robert Lewandowski, it could spell trouble for PSG.
• Get on the scoreboard first: Yes, we know this is kind of stating the obvious, but if PSG can score the game's first goal, it'd be monstrous. Bayern has gotten off to fast starts throughout the Champions League. Since the quarterfinals, they've basically cruised to huge wins.
The German club is not used to playing from behind. How will they respond if PSG is able to smack them in the mouth early on in the first half? Bayern Munich hasn't faced much adversity throughout the Champions League. If Neymar or Mbappe score in say the 20th minute and Bayern out of nowhere is behind, it could rattle them. Let's see if PSG can find the back of the net and apply some pressure in the first half.