"Never stop dreaming. Never give up when you fail. Work hard to achieve your goal" - Bayern Munich's star striker Robert Lewandowski wrote on his Twitter fanpage, above the picture of him and the Champions League trophy. On Sunday, Poland's skipper added the most coveted prize in European club football to the already vast collection of triumphs, as Bayern defeated PSG in the final game of the tournament.
Although Lewandowski himself did not score in the final, he was the first one to pick up the trophy after Bayern's captain Manuel Neuer, whose brilliant saves were crucial for his team's win against the Parisian side on Sunday.
The only goal of the game came in the 59th minute when Frenchman Kingsley Coman finished a fine cross by Joshua Kimmich with a precise header.
Poland's top striker had a magnificent season as yet again he became Bundesliga's top scorer, for which he was voted the best player of the 2019/2020 campaign. He also became Champions League's top scorer this season with 15 goals.
After the Sunday's final, Lewandowski posted an inspirational tweet with a photo of him holding the Polish flag and the Champions League trophy placed in front. "Never stop dreaming. Never give up when you fail. Work hard to achieve your goal," wrote the Polish goalscorer, known for his hard-work and consistency.
Bayern's long journey
There were no fans to witness the triumph but Bayern celebrated as though 80,000 were cheering and, even as the lights went out nearly two hours after the final whistle, three players still sat in the centre circle, savouring the moment.
The victory at the Estadio da Luz, deserved after a dogged display once Bayern got in front, secured a second treble for the Germans, the Bundesliga and German Cup winners, and completed a remarkable first season for coach Hansi Flick.
Flick took over a struggling side in November, after a 5-1 hammering by Eintracht Frankfurt led to the sacking of Niko Kovac with the club fourth in the Bundesliga.
"It feels fantastic, we have a long journey behind us," said Bayern midfielder Thomas Mueller.
"We came from very low, at least that is what it felt like, in the autumn and put in a sensational run. We had a bit of luck tonight and had (Manuel) Neuer in goal," he added.
The last hurdle
PSG, who were playing in their first Champions League final, paid the price for wastefulness in the first half as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe failed to beat Neuer from close range.
The French club has benefitted from huge investment by Qatari Sports Investments but, while dominant in their domestic league, they fell short at the final hurdle in Europe.
"We're sad but we don't forget all the positive things we did this season," said PSG's Qatari president Nasser al Khelaifi.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: Twitter/@lewy_official