Tuesday. 05.11.2024

Kingsley Coman scored against his former club as Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the Champions League final for their sixth title in the elite event and a second treble Sunday in Lisbon.

Paris-born Coman, fielded for the first time by coach Hansi Flick as a starter at the finals in Portugal, headed home in the 59th minute for Munich, after team-mate Robert Lewandowski hit the post in the first half.

The 24-year-old joined PSG aged eight and played some top flight games with them in 2013 as a teenager, before joining Bayern in 2015 after a brief spell at Juventus.

PSG, backed by big Qatari money and playing in their first final, were punished for missing several top opportunities from their stars Kylian Mbappe and Neymar behind closed doors at the Estadio da Luz, frustrated by Bayern captain Manuel Neuer who also saved late from Marquinhos.

Bayern completed a second title treble in club history, the first in 2013, at the end of a remarkable season.

They are the first team to win all matches, 11, in one Champions League campaign. They are unbeaten in 30 matches, of which they have won 29, with Flick the mastermind since becoming coach in November - and starting Coman instead of Ivan Perisic was his latest masterstroke.

Six titles from 11 finals

Bayern drew level with last year's winners Liverpool on six titles from 11 finals, with only AC Milan (seven) and Real Madrid (13) ahead. Bayern's earlier triumphs were 1974-1976, 2001 and 2013.

Lewandowski was tournament top scorer with 15 goals while Thomas Mueller, Jerome Boateng, David Alaba, Neuer and substitute Javi Martinez were also part of the team that lifted the trophy in 2013.

The competition was halted mid-way through the round of 16 by the coronavirus pandemic in March and then completed five months later in a final eight mini-tournament in Lisbon, with teams living in mini bubbles as part of a strict hygiene concept.

Keylor Navas returned into goal at PSG from a hamstring problem that had seen Sergio Rico deputize in the semi-final win against RB Leipzig in the only change made by PSG's German coach Thomas Tuchel.

Flick meanwhile also made just one change compared to the semi-final line-up against Olympique Lyon, with Coman starting on the left wing in place of Perisic who had played in the previous games.

Bayern made their presence felt immediately from the kick-off with their high pressing but PSG then got into the game as Mbappe had two shots blocked before superbly setting up Neymar, who however was denied by a super save from Manuel Neuer in the 18th minute.

The biggest danger then came at the other end when Lewandowski turned a defender only for his shot to hit the left post with Navas beaten.

Munich's 500th goal

It was end-to-end stuff now with di Maria aiming high from a right angle after a another determined run through the middle from Neymar.

Boateng limped off in the 24th with Niklas Suele coming on for the Germans just as in the second half for him against Lyon.

Lewandowski headed right at Navas in the 31st minute as Bayern regained their composure and pinned PSG back again.

But a terrible pass from David Alaba at his own penalty area almost gifted PSG the lead as Bayern were lucky that Mbappe only managed a harmless shot at Neuer from a very promising position.

Bayern finally broke the deadlock just before the hour after a nice move via Thiago, Mueller and Joshua Kimmich whose pinpoint cross was headed in by Coman at the far left post for Munich's 500th goal in the competition.

The goal rattled the French champions as Bayern pressed for the second and Thiago Silva needed to clear another shot from Coman just in front of the goal-line.

But Bayern still had to be on their guard and needed another big save from Neuer with his foot in the 70th minute against Marquinhos who was set up well by Angel di Maria on the right.

PSG appealed for a penalty after Kimmich appeared to have clipped Mbappe but Italian referee Daniele Orsato waved play on, and a final chance in stoppage time also went begging for the French champions as Bayern hung on for another big title.

Parisian Coman sinks ex-club PSG and Munich win Champions League final