While it may not share the prestige of a ‘Classico’ between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, this particular Champions League Final matchup can definitely rival the talent and tension of one. The two German giants and the two most impressive squads in the UEFA Champions League are going head-to-head for the fifth time this season.
Borussia Dortmund has to realize that this may be their last crack at the biggest club trophy in Europe for a while. Star attacking-midfielder Mario Gotze has already accepted a move to Bayern Munich, which will make him the most expensive German player in history. Robert Lewandowski, also with one foot out the door, is said to wish a move to Bayern as well. Dortmund is desperate to convince Lewandowski to accept a move to the Premier League to avoid selling their two best players to the domestic rivals. Finally, Mats Hummels' name will certainly come up in transfer speculation with big clubs such as Barcelona looking for ways to improve their defense.
Bayern Munich, on the other hand, will continue to be a club competing for this trophy for years to come. Aside from Franck Ribery, their key players are still under 30 years of age. As previously mentioned, the addition of Gotze and potentially Lewandowski will give them two more world-class talents under 25 years of age. The pitch is going to be full of world-class players in this final. All 11 players on each side are capable of providing the difference in a game of this magnitude. The announcement that Mario Gotze will not play in this game due to injury certainly throws a wrinkle in Jurgen Klopp's plans. It also changes the way I view the match, and puts a little twist in the 5 players I think will make a difference in the UCL Final..
Manuel Neuer
Arguably the best keeper in the world, Neuer might be the man who has the biggest impact in this match. Not many keepers can say they kept four straight clean sheets while playing two matches against each Juventus and Barcelona. The keeper position in this matchup is what separates these two sides with the Bayern man having a big advantage
Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski has scored the second-most goals in the Champions League, behind Cristiano Ronaldo. He has the strength to stand toe-to-toe with Bayern’s towering centre backs, and has been clinical in front of goal throughout the season. Pace, strength, finishing, and positional awareness — he is a complete forward.
Thomas Mueller
The Bayern midfielder has proven himself to come up big when it matters most. He’s leading Bayern in UCL goals with eight, and will most likely be put in the No. 10 role for his club. Mueller will be the man to get Bayern’s strikers involved in the game.
Javi Martinez
Javi Martinez will look to own the midfield and stop Dortmund’s attacks before they materialize. He’s a really good passer and has good skill with the ball at his feet. He’ll make an impact by continuing to consistently control the tempo of matches and pull the strings from a deeper area of the pitch.
Ilkay Gundogan
I was tempted to put Marco Reus here, and he can easily still make a huge impact on this match, but with the news of Gotze’s injury, I think this puts Gundogan right into the spotlight. Dortmund has tried to employ Reus in Gotze’s CAM role, but Dortmund lacked that same spark as usual. Reus is much more comfortable playing on the wings, so I expect Gundogan to try and fill the role of the central playmaker. He’s capable of playing well in this type of role, but going against Bayern’s two hulking midfielders will prove to be a big part of the match.
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