UEFA Champions League Final - Best possible lineup out of both teams

Topics: UEFA Champions League, PSG, Bayern München, Robert Lewandowski, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé

The game between the French and German clubs promises to be lit due to the quality of their players. Here's a potential lineup that would feature footballers from both teams.

At long last, the UEFA Champions League final is set to kick off on Sunday. PSG and Bayern both have what it takes to win the title, and when it comes to their talent on the pitch, a really interesting lineup could be formed if you took players from both teams.

Both teams have hired top-noth footballers to get to this stage, and our Best XI is set to reflect that. With world champions, rising stars and some of the world's best players in the past few years, we guarantee you that this will not be an easy task, so let's get right down to choosing our Best XI. For this exercise, we will consider those players that are set to start, according to UEFA's website.

Formation: 1-4-3-3

Goalkeeper (1)

Manuel Neuer - Given that Keylor Navas is set to sit this game out according to UEFA, our choice to guard the net is obvious. Neuer is a world champion with Die Mannschaft, and some even consider him a legend among German shot-stoppers. The former Schalke goalie has kept five clean sheets this season in the European competitions, and with only eight goals conceded, he has cemented his spot as one of the best in the business.

Defenders (4)

Joshua Kimmich - At right back, the German defender excels on both ends of the pitch, and he has put up massive contributions to Hansi Flick's system. Kimmich has played all of Bayern's games in the tournament this season(only one as a sub), and he has been involved in five goals for Die Roten (two goals, three assists). If that is not enough reason to include him, Kimmich has played in different positions, which adds depth to the squad.

Marquinhos - At 26, Marquinhos is quickly turning into PSG's main man in the back. With Thiago Silva being increasingly criticized by his slow feet, the 26-year-old center back has been key to PSG's run in the tournament, scoring the equalizer against Atalanta in the Quarterfinals and one more in the semis against RB Leipzig. His disciplinary record also shows only one yellow card, which proves he can be effective without being too harsh against his opponents.

Jerome Boateng - The voice of experience in this lineup. Boateng has had an impressive season with either David Alaba or Niklas Sule as his partners, and he found the way to Flick's lineup despite being deemed a sub by former coach Niko Kovac at the start of the season. He has only picked up one yellow card in the competition.

Alphonso Davies - This was a close call between Davies and Juan Bernat, but the Canadian's youth, speed, and dribbling skills are way too impressive to overlook. Bernat may have scored two goals in the tournament, but Davies' impact with the Bavarian side saw him beat Lucas Hernández to the starting spot even after the massive amount of cash Bayern paid for the Frenchman's services.

Midfielders (3)

Marco Verratti - The Italian player is one of the most praised holding midfielders in the game, and he is frequently named as one of the best in his position. How could we leave him out of our Starting XI? The player has picked up three yellow cards this season in the UCL, which caused him to miss one of Les Parisiens' games in the tournament due to suspension.

Thiago Alcántara - The former Barcelona player, who is seemingly living his final days with Die Roten, would be the perfect partner for Verratti in midfield. Thiago can be used as a holding midfielder and as a central midfielder, which would bring balance to "our" midfield. Thiago failed to score in the European competition, but he managed to hand out two assists in Bayern's run to the final.

Thomas Müller - This was the hardest call we had to make, as we had to choose between Angel Di Maria and the German footballer. We chose Müller because he is younger, he has scored more goals, and his general input to Bayern's tactics is bigger than Di María's, who frequently plays second-fiddle behind Neymar or Kylian Mbappé. The deciding factor between these players came when we looked at the disciplinary record, with Di María picking up three yellow cards, while Müller is yet to pick his first in the tournament.

Strikers (3)

Neymar - Was there any doubt about this one? Neymar has been impressive for PSG all season long, and he has played a key role in the team's performances after the coronavirus break. Hence, the left winger spot goes to the Brazilian ace, who has scored three goals and handed out four assists in the tournament for Les Parisiens.

Robert Lewandowski - This season's top scorer in the UEFA Champions League had to be included in this lineup. The Polish striker is just three goals away from setting a new goalscoring record in the UCL for most goals in a single season, and it would be a travesty to see him out of this squad. If Lewa's tally in front of goal was not enough, how about adding five assists to his record? As we said, his numbers are too impressive to snub.

Kylian Mbappé - The French footballer may not have had the best year in his career, but he is still too influential in Thomas Tuchel's lineup. The former Monaco ace has been involved in ten goals for Les Parisiens (five goals, five assists), and with those facts in mind, the striker will be bumped to the right wing in our lineup to give way for Lewandowski's skills in front of goal.

Here's how our lineup would look like on the pitch.

Bench

With so much talented players on both rosters, there had to be some omissions. Fortunately, they can still make the 23-man squad allowed for the UEFA Champions League final. Here are the remaining twelve players in our roster.

Goalkeepers: Sergio Rico, Sven Ulreich.

Defenders: Thilo Kehrer, David Alaba, Thiago Silva, Juan Bernat.

Midfielders: Ángel Di María, Philippe Coutinho, Ander Herrera.

Strikers: Mauro Icardi, Serge Gnabry, Ivan Perisic.

Which would be your choces for a starting lineup considering players from these teams? Make up your mind while watching the game on Sunday wherever you live. Still don't know where? Scroll down and click the link below, we've got you covered!