Two of the top teams battle for the top prize in European football. The heavyweight division of boxing has never been this competitive in years. Sevilla dedicate their latest piece of silverware to fallen heroes. Full details below.
Bayern and PSG lock horns in Champions League Final
Paris St-Germain will on Sunday take on Bayern Munich in a mouth-watering Champions League final on Sunday – with both teams looking to create history for themselves. A competition which started in June 2019 with the preliminary round comes to a climax between arguably the two best sides in European football. Bayern chase only the second European domestic treble in their proud history, PSG are looking to be crowned champions of Europe for the first time.
Both teams comfortably made it through their semi-finals with 3-0 wins over RB Leipzig and Lyon respectively and will now battle to be crowned kings of Europe – a title which would complete an historic treble for either club. Bayern have been here and done it all before – only Real Madrid can top their tally of 11 European Cup and Champions League finals, while only Madrid, AC Milan and Liverpool have got their hands on the trophy more often.
Bayern’s coach Hansi Flick insisted that Bayern Munich will stick with their attacking principles despite the threat posed by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final. With Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Angel Di Maria, PSG have the ability to unlock the German champions having reunited to devastating effect in the semi-final win over Leipzig, but Flick is not fazed by facing such a talented triumvirate.
“In our games over the last 10 months we’ve always tried to impose our style on the opposition and always played with a high line,” Flick said. “Ultimately we’ve got results doing that, so we won’t change too much on that score.
Povetkin knocks out Whyte.
Dillian Whyte’s hopes of a world heavyweight title fight suffered a major setback when former Olympic champion Alexander Povetkin twice came back off the canvas to knock out the British fighter. Whyte, 32, had been the WBC’s number-one contender for over two years and was hoping victory behind closed doors on Saturday would pave the way for a world title shot at either defending champion Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder.
Whyte twice put Russian 40-year-old Povetkin down in the fourth round but was then knocked out in fifth by the former WBA world champion.
“I didn’t feel I would finish the fight like this. I was confident in the fourth round even after going down twice,” Povetkin told Sky Sports after winning the bout courtesy of a devastating left hook. Promoter Eddie Hearn added: “When the punch landed, I thought it was a dream. I can’t believe it.
“Two heavy knockdowns from Whyte – people felt it was over. This is the drama of heavyweight boxing. One punch completely changed the fight. “It is a shock. He wasn’t that much of an outsider – we knew how good Povetkin was. It was a thrilling knockout on a thrilling night.”
Sevilla dedicate trophy win to Jose Antonio Reyes and Antonio Puerta
Jesus Navas dedicated Sevilla’s sixth Europa League title to former players Jose Antonio Reyes and Antonio Puerta.
Reyes was killed in a car crash last year at the age of 35, while Puerta was 22 when he died in 2007 after a series of cardiac arrests. After Friday’s 3-2 win over Inter Milan, Navas said: “To raise this cup as captain of my Sevilla means so much. “For friends who are no longer here – for Puerta, for Reyes, and for my godfather who has died.”
Reyes came through the youth system at Sevilla and made 253 appearances in two spells at the club. He also had a spell in the Premier League with Arsenal from 2004 until 2007. Puerta also came through the ranks before making his debut in the 2003-04 season and went on to make 88 appearances.
“I hope Sevilla fans are proud of us,” added Navas. “We all lift the trophy because we are all captains.”
Former Manchester City winger Navas was part of the Sevilla side that won the trophy for the first time back in 2006.
He helped them win it again the following year and played a crucial role in their latest win, providing the assist for Luuk de Jong’s equaliser after Inter had taken the lead through Romelu Lukaku. De Jong struck again to give Sevilla the lead before Diego Godin equalised.
However, Diego Carlos’ late effort was deflected into his own net by Lukaku to seal victory for Sevilla. It was also Julen Lopetegui’s first trophy as a manager.