Bayern firepower to blow PSG away as Lewandowski targets Ronaldo record
Germans to lift trophy with new mark of 11 straight wins Irish raider Pondus good value in Ebor for O’brien Jnr
Bayern Munich have stormed through this season’s Champions League and they can cap a magnificent run by blasting their way past Paris St-germain in the final tomorrow night.
The German side have already made history by becoming the only team to start the Champions League with 10 straight victories and they will break the record for most consecutive wins in the competition if they pick up the trophy.
Bayern are also close to breaking the competition’s goalscoring record, needing three to equal Barcelona’s total of 45 in the 1999-2000 season. That is some achievement, given they will have played five fewer matches as a result of format changes brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
And it is not only team records being threatened, with some of Bayern’s players also on the verge of historic milestones. Robert Lewandowski has been this season’s best performer in the Champions League and the Polish striker needs two goals in the final to equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 17 in a single campaign in the competition.
Lewandowski has been ably assisted, most notably by Serge Gnabry, and the pair have combined for 24 goals in the competition, surpassing the record of 23 set by Ronaldo and Gareth Bale for Real Madrid in 2013-14.
So it is no surprise Bayern are just evens to win inside 90 minutes with Ladbrokes – PSG can be backed at 23/10 and the draw is available at 29/10 – and it is difficult to see anything other than a Bayern victory.
But, amid all the hype surrounding this talented Bayern side, it is easy to forget that their opponents also have some impressive firepower, with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar capable of causing the German defence some huge problems.
Despite Bayern’s dominance in the Champions League, they did concede goals against Tottenham, Chelsea, Olympiacos and Barcelona en route to the final and it would be no surprise were PSG to score. If they do, it could prove to be only a consolation and the French side may find themselves behind early.
Bayern have led at half-time in seven of their 10 Champions League games this season and they could be a decent bet at 21/10 to be in front at half time and full time.
A fantastic four days of horse racing at York ends today and one of the biggest betting races of the season, the Ebor, takes place on the Knavesmire at 3.40pm. This race was formerly Europe’s richest handicap, with £1 million in prize money up for grabs last year, but that has been slashed to £250,000 as the sport deals with the impact of Covid-19.
The lion’s share of that reduced purse could well end up in Ireland, as Joseph O’brien’s Pondus looks to have a live chance at a decent price.
Irish raiders have a good record in this race, with five of the past 10 winners, and Pondus shaped like a stayer with decent form at Group level when trained by James Fanshawe in Britain last season. He looks to have been laid out for this race since joining O’brien and the trainer has booked the brilliant Jamie Spencer for the ride. Expect him to swoop late on Pondus, who is a decent each-way bet at 9/1.