A headed goal from Kingsley Coman proved to be just enough for Bayern Munich as the German giants edged past Neymar and Paris St. Germain to win the UEFA Champions League final 1-0 on Sunday.
Following a tense first half, Bayern found a breakthrough after Joshua Kimmich floated a silver-platter pass for Coman to head home in the 59th minute.
Bayern manager Hansi Flick inserted Coman into the lineup for Ivan Perisic, who had started the previous three Champions League matches for Bayern at left winger, and the decision paid dividends.
To make matters worse for PSG, Coman actually started his senior career at the Parisian club, having come up through their youth system.
For Bayern, the win capped an astounding 21-match winning streak in all competitions. Their last taste of defeat came all the way back on Dec. 7, 2019.
To FOX Soccer analyst Alexi Lalas, the triumph for Bayern can be attributed to that consistent winning attitude.
“Bayern was a well-oiled machine that distributed the work in a balanced and even way. PSG was an unbalanced machine that was constantly expecting some other component to do the work. They are both fancy and expensive machines, but only one was built to consistently get the job done.”
En route to their sixth European title and first since 2013, Bayern saw off the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona and Lyon in the knockout rounds, highlighted by a 8-2 thumping of Barcelona on Aug. 14.
The Champions League victory marked the third trophy this season for Bayern, who can add Europe's most prestigious prize alongside the Bundesliga and German Cup titles.
For PSG, another opportunity to claim its first-ever Champions League trophy has gone by the wayside.
The likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe had their chances, including a last-gasp effort in front of Bayern's goal, but ultimately the PSG superstars were held at bay.
And even without fans, no Champions League final is complete without the trophy lift.
