Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week, then you would know that the Champions League final is finally about to take place.
Paris Saint-Germain will go head-to-head with Bayern Munich to be crowned the best team on the continent, and perhaps, even the world as the competition is widely seen as one of the best to take place each year.
It is so popular that bettors from all around the world decide to get in on the action and potentially win big by placing a number of wagers on different markets that are made available when able to bet on football.
However, how can we expect Bayern Munich to line-up for their 11th appearance in the Champions League final?
It would not be a surprise if Hans-Dieter Flick decided to use the same starting XI that started the match against Olympique de Lyonnais in the semi-final as they go up against another French side.
Therefore, it would look a little like this: Neuer; Kimmich, Boateng, Alaba, Davies; Goretzka, Thiago; Perišić, Müller, Gnabry; Lewandowski.
Taking a closer look, this is why Flick could go with that particular line-up (with all stats coming from WhoScored):
Defence: Between the back-four and Manuel Neuer in between the sticks, they managed to achieve a solid nine total tackles to help limit Lyon to the opportunities that they had. They also managed to make a total of seven clearances as well as providing four interceptions to frustrate the Ligue 1 side further.
Niklas Sule replaced Jerome Boateng in the second half after an injury concern, but he still provided Flick’s side with defensive stability as well, as he provided a further two tackles and two clearances once involved in the action.
Midfield: Bayern Munich appear to play a 4-5-1 formation, therefore packing out the midfield with a combination of defensive and attack-minded individuals to help give them a great overall balance within the team.
Thiago and Leon Goretzka play the roles of sitting in front of the defence and trying to protect them from too many attacks and do it incredibly well. Against Lyon, they managed a further two tackles and one clearance before being brought off in the 81st minute – perhaps with the final in mind.
On the warpath in attack, Ivan Perišić, Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry can be expected to start against PSG as the trio have proven to be incredibly prolific in the tournament this season.
Each of them had at least a shot on goal against Lyon, with Gnabry scoring twice from his three attempted whereas the Croatian winger was also able to play through a key pass, therefore providing the Bundesliga outfit with an arsenal full of weapons.
Striker: Of course, Robert Lewandowski will likely be tasked to lead the line for the Bavarians and they will be looking for him to add to his tally of 55 goals this season. The Poland international rattled the net once again in their match against Lyon and also provides his team-mates with opportunities as well.
If Flick goes with this line-up, PSG could be in for a long night on Sunday at the Estadio da Luz and bettors might be wise to pick Bayern as their favourite to win.
