One step away from the final at the Estádio da Luz: After the incredible 8-2 victory in the Champions League quarter-final against FC Barcelona, next stop is the semi-final with Olympique Lyon! The teams will be "ready to rumble" on Wednesday evening at 21.00 CEST in the battle for a place in the final. fcbayern.com has summarised the most important facts for you.
A clear advantage for Bayern in head-to-heads
Ivica Olić, Thomas Müller and Arjen Robben celebrate against Lyon in 2010.
The Munich side have met Lyon eight times in competitive matches. With four wins and two defeats (two draws), FCB are clearly ahead in a direct comparison. The most recent duel ten years ago was also in the Champions League semi-final. On that occasion, the German record champions prevailed over the two games with a 1-0 home win and a 3-0 win in France, but this time Hansi Flick's team only have one game at the tournament in Lisbon. FC Bayern fans will certainly remember the perfect hat trick by Ivica Olić when he scored with his right foot, left foot and his head, and almost single-handedly fired the Munich side into the final at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid.
Standing ovation at the Olympic Stadium
Giovane Élber was applauded on his return.
One of the two defeats certainly won't be forgotten - not because of the importance of the game, as FCB still advanced to the last 16 in second place in the group - but because of a goal by Bayern legend Giovane Élber. After his time in Munich, the Brazilian moved to Lyon in August 2003 and scored the 2-1 winner in the sold-out Olympic Stadium three months later. Nevertheless he received applause from the 59,000 spectators.
Mixed season at Lyon
After Olympique qualified for this year's Champions League as third in the table behind Paris Saint Germain and LOSC Lille, the 2019/20 season was mixed. Just like FC Bayern, there was a change of coach early in the campaign. Rudi Garcia succeeded the unsuccessful Brazilian Sylvinho in October 2019 after just three months. Lyon finished seventh at the end of the season, and missed out on successes twice to PSG - in the cup (losing 5-1 in the semifinals), and the league cup (losing 6-5 on pens in the final). The UCL is their last chance for European football next season.
Lyon cause upset in the UCL
Huge celebrations: few expected Lyon to beat Manchester City before the game.
Lyon finished in second place in their group behind RB Leipzig, who are also in the semi-finals, and ahead of Benfica and Zenit St. Petersburg. None other than Juventus and Christiano Ronaldo were waiting in the last 16, but thanks to a 1-0 home win before the coronavirus interruption, a 2-1 defeat in the second leg after the restart was enough to advance to the quarter-finals. Lyon met another huge opponent in Manchester City and once again caused an upset when they knocked Pep Guardiola's men out of the competition with a 3-1 win.
Tolisso faces youth club
Corentin Tolisso played for Lyon in his youth before moving to Bayern in 2017.
While Élber moved from Bayern to Lyon, Corentin Tolisso came to Munich from France in 2017 as a 22-year-old. The midfielder advanced through the academy in Lyon and made it into the French national team, becoming a world champion in 2018.
Current squad situation at Lyon
Just like Hansi Flick, Garcia can draw on the full potential of his Olympique Lyon squad. "After the game against City the players are naturally exhausted, Marçal had cramps, so it's important we recover as quickly as possible because Bayern Munich are just around the corner," said Garcia at the press conference after the game. The French side have a balanced team, with the most famous players probably the 26-year-old captain Memphis Depay and the double goalscorer from the game against City, Moussa Dembélé. FCB should not underestimate Lyon, especially given their impressive recent results.
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