Champions League final: Why goalkeeping could be the deciding factor

Bayern Munich and PSG have star-studded lineups loaded with some of the world’s best scorers. That’s why goalkeeping could decide who lifts the trophy.

Loris Karius will forever be remembered for his goalkeeping in the 2018 Champions League final won by Real Madrid. Karius, at the time guarding the nets for Liverpool, made two huge blunders that resulted in goals. Real Madrid won the match 3-1 and Karius, who left the field in tears, was eventually sent away on loan to Turkish club Besiktas.

The starting goalies for both Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to avoid repeating Karius’ performance at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon in Sunday’s Champions League final. While the offensive prowess of Bayern and PSG will be on full display, goalkeeping could end up being the deciding factor once again.

Bayern Munich will feature veteran netminder Manuel Neuer. The German international is no stranger to the pressures of a championship game. The 34-year-old has already won a Champions League with the Bavarian giants in 2013, following that up with a World Cup title with Germany the following summer.

Tall and athletic, Neuer, who also serves as Bayern’s captain, has been widely-regarded as the world’s best goalkeeper over the past few years. He said this current team is even better than the one that captured the treble in 2013.

“The difference to 2013 is that we have top players across the board, back then, we won with fewer players,” Neuer told reporters in the lead-up to the final.

Neuer has been described as a “sweeper-keeper” because of the way Germany and Bayern effectively utilize a high defensive line, revolutionizing how goalkeepers play these days. Solid on one-on-one situations, he’s also effective during penalty-kick shootouts. Both those qualities are a tremendous asset, especially in a final that could be decided on spot kicks should the game end in a draw after 120 minutes.

PSG’s Neymar is known for his ability to get past defenders and shoot at ‘keepers from point-blank range, something that Neuer will be prepared for. The French champions also feature strikers with the ability to score from anywhere in the final third, most notably wingers Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria. That means Neuer will need to be at the very top of his game if Bayern want to have a shot at winning the European title for a sixth time.

PSG, meanwhile, will likely feature the Spanish-born Sergio Rico between the posts. The 26-year-old Rico, on loan at PSG from Spanish side Sevilla, has a much-shorter resume compared to Neuer, but should not be underestimated. He has already won back-to-back Europa League titles with Sevilla (in 2015 and ’16) and played the 2018-19 season in the Premier League at Fulham.

Rico has been key for PSG in the knockout rounds of the pandemic-disrupted UCL this month. It was two weeks ago that he came on as a sub for the injured starter Keylor Navas in the dying minutes against Atalanta in the quarterfinals.

PSG eventually won the game 2-1. With Navas sidelined with a hamstring injury, Rico started in the semifinals against RB Leipzig, a game PSG easily won 3-0.

Despite Rico’s solid performance in PSG’s last two games, the team remains hopeful that Navas could still start against Bayern. He has been training with the team over the last few days, a hopeful sign, and has a lot more experience at this level. Rico, by comparison, has only played in five games this season across all competitions.

“I would try to do everything in my power to play an unforgettable match,” Rico said in a recent interview.

Bayern, however, hope Navas stays on the bench. The Costa Rican international faced Bayern in back-to-back seasons in the Champions League knockout phase while with Real Madrid. The Spanish giants defeated Bayern on both occasions en route to the trophy. In all, Navas has won three Champions League titles, all with Real Madrid.

Attempting to contain the explosive Robert Lewandowski — and the remainder of Bayern’s high-octane attack — could be more than either Rico or Navas can handle. The Polish striker been in exceptional form all year, despite the coronavirus pause, and leads the Champions League in scoring with 15 goals.

Whether Navas can add a fourth title to his trophy case will very much depend on whether he can start. Aside from winning the game, both teams also hope to avoid repeating the blunders that plagued Karius just two years ago.