Goal-ah-Olic!
Ivica Olic, the Croatian striker scored a perfect hattrick with his right foot, left foot, and a header as Bayern swamped hapless Lyon.
The Bavarian giants have proved time and time again in their CL campaign that they are second to none when it comes to scoring big goals.
Hans Joerg Butt was only tested once in the 60′ minute after Sidney Govou cracked one hard at the German goalie who just managed to palm the ball away. A couple of close calls from Michel Bastos and Bafetimbi Gomis, summed up the extent of Lyon’s chances.
Lisandro Lopez was invisible once more, starved of the ball. Cesar Delgado, his fellow Argentinian was even more ineffective in making inroads. Perhaps with Jeremy Toulalan and Kim Kallstrom they Lyon midfield could have organized more effectively as the attack transmuted into a series of solo efforts from Bastos and Govou.
In contrast, the Germans recycled the ball constantly as they pushed and probed and switched their points of attack through Robben, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, and Mueller to soften the Lyon defense.
The French team were reduced to ten men in the 58′ minute when Cris was ejected after receiving a second yellow for sarcastically applauding Massimo Busacca. He was reacting to his yellow card for a foul committed on Olic, a decision that the Swiss referee clearly got wrong. But truth be told, an insipid and toothelss Lyon team seemed to have given up long before that. Disappointing when you think of their unbeaten home record and a chance of making history.
The Lyon fans were magnificent to the end refusing to leave the Stade Gerland, chanting and cheering on their team, even as the writing was on the wall.
This is Bayern’s eighth entry into the finals of European football’s most prestigious event. They won it last in 2001 beating Valencia through penalty shootout. In all, the Bavarian giants have won four titles. They now await either Barca or Inter, which should be settled tomorrow.