PSG, Bayern ready for showdown in Champions League final

The Paris Saint-Germain of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are one game away from winning a first UEFA Champions League that would cap their rise to the status of one of the world's most powerful clubs, but a fearsome Bayern Munich led by the prolific Robert Lewandowski stand in their way in Sunday's final.

It is a mouthwatering showdown between two of the European continent's super-clubs, two teams not used to losing, but one which will be played out behind closed doors inside the cavernous Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.

In the year of the coronavirus pandemic, this Champions League will perhaps always carry an asterisk next to it, after the delay of five months in getting the round of 16 completed and the introduction of a 'Final Eight' tournament in Portugal's capital, with one-off ties in the quarter-finals and semi-finals and no supporters allowed in.

Nine years after the Qatari takeover which transformed them, PSG have finally made it this far.

It is a battle between the nouveau riche and one of the great names of the European football aristocracy –– Bayern are appearing in their 11th final.

READ MORE: PSG beat Leipzig to reach first Champions League final

Security tightens in Paris

With Paris Saint-Germain looking to become only the second French club to win the Champions League, around 3,000 police are being deployed on the Champs-Elysees and outside the club's stadium on Sunday night to prevent wild fan celebrations amid coronavirus concerns.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced the measures on Saturday. 

To encourage preventative measures, 2,000 masks will be distributed to fans who arrive without them. 

In a bid to keep the numbers down, 17 subway stations will be shut and three-ring road entry points into Paris will be closed off.

"Not only so, things take place in the best way possible in terms of public security, but obviously so that the wearing of masks can be ensured," Darmanin said.

On Friday, the French Health Ministry reported 4,586 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, after the country reached a post-lockdown record the previous day.

Football in coronavirus age

PSG faces five-time champion Bayern Munich in Lisbon, but all eyes will be on the game in bars and cafes back home. 

With virus cases increasing, authorities want to avoid scenes like Tuesday, when raucous fans celebrated reaching the final for the first time in the club’s 50-year history.

Thousands poured onto the famed Champs-Elysees, some on scooters or hanging out of cars, lighting up the night sky with flares as they danced and cheered wildly.

Many were without face masks as social distancing disappeared entirely amid the hugging and jubilation.

Police arrested 36 people after throngs at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe degenerated into scattered violence and shop windows were smashed. 

But police authorities were also widely criticised for not anticipating the situation properly and deploying only a dozen vans.

The avenue will be for pedestrians only from 21:00 (20:00 GMT) – kick off time – with no vehicles allowed to enter. This rare measure is usually reserved for New Year's Eve.

PSG is beaming the match on a giant screen at its Parc des Princes stadium in western Paris, where 5,000 fans will be allowed — the maximum number that can attend football games in France.

'Respect protective measures'

All fans entering the stadium have to wear masks and wash their hands, and police are being deployed outside to prevent a repeat of the widespread gathering on Tuesday.

Police will hand out face masks to anyone not wearing one, Darmanin said.

Some PSG players also urged fans to take care.

"It's a unique and important moment, I hope you too will respect protective measures," defender Thiago Silva said on a video distributed by the club on Twitter.

On the outskirts of the city, 500 people will be allowed to watch the game at the club's training ground at Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Seeking to uproot Marseille

There is more than victory at stake for PSG, which is trying to end decades of gloating from bitter rival Marseille — the only French club to have won the competition in 1993.

The game is massive for the club, which had never got past the quarterfinals since 2011 despite huge backing from Qatari investors QSI estimated at more than $1.77 billion.

That includes a massive transfer outlay of $472 million alone on star forwards Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Now the world's two most expensive players are under big pressure to make history for PSG.

READ MORE: Bayern beat Lyon to face PSG in Champions League final