SOCCER/CHAMPIONS LEAGUE/Lyon 0 Bayern Munich 3 (agg 0-4):CROATIA STRIKER Ivica Olic's superb hat-trick fired Bayern Munich into their first Champions League final since 2001 as the German side demolished Olympique Lyon 3-0 away last night.
Three clinical finishes from Olic helped the four-times European champions complete a 4-0 aggregate semi-final success at Stade Gerland.
Olic netted his first after 26 minutes with a neat turn and shot, smashed in a pass from Hamit Altintop after 67 minutes and completed his hat-trick with a header 12 minutes from time.
It was only the second ever hat-trick in a Champions League semi-final.
“I didn’t think we’d win in such a one-sided manner and that I’d get three goals,” Olic told German TV. ’That’s just incredible in a match like this.”
Bayern will face either Inter Milan or Barcelona in the May 22nd final at the Bernabeu in Madrid.
Lyon finished the game with 10 men after centre back Cris was sent off just before the hour. He was booked for a foul on Olic, then shown a second yellow card for mocking referee Massimo Busacca’s decision.
“They were the stronger team. Too bad we failed to equalise (after the first goal) because we had a few chances,” Lyon coach Claude Puel told French TV channel TF1.
It was a night to celebrate for Bayern, who had not been in the Champions League final since beating Valencia on penalties nine years ago.
They got off to a strong start, Thomas Mueller missing a clear- cut opportunity after two minutes when his low shot from inside the box went a fraction wide.
It was only a matter of time for Bayern, who looked sharper even without their suspended French international Franck Ribery.
Following a fine one-two with Arjen Robben, Mueller raced into the box, cut it back for Olic, who turned and slotted past the helpless Hugo Lloris in the 26th minute.
Lyon missed their chance to level on the half hour when Michel Bastos fluffed a left-footed attempt after Lisandro Lopez had found the Brazilian unmarked at the far post.
Puel replaced Aly Cissokho with striker Bafetimbi Gomis, with Bastos taking the left back position as Lyon tried to step up a gear after the interval.
It was Bayern who came out strongest after the break and they came close to scoring shortly after the restart as first Bastian Schweinsteiger drove in a 25-yard thunderbolt which flew just over before Lloris was called into action to prevent what seemed a certain second goal.
Muller played a ball across the outside of the area to Robben who took a couple of steps before letting fly but Lloris pulled off a good stop to deflect it out for a corner.
The contest was effectively over just before the hour when centre back Cris was sent off. It did not take Bayern long to make the most of it, as Olic collected a through ball from Altintop before coolly slotting past Lloris.
Bayern should have extended their lead moments later but Lloris pulled off a fantastic stop to deny Robben before Jean Makoun’s challenge stole the ball off Olic as he was about to let fly.
Olic did rub salt on his opponents’ wounds, however, by adding a third with a powerful header that went under the bar 12 minutes from time.
The Bayern fans chanted Ribery’s name, hoping that he will play in the final. The France midfielder, who was sent off in the first leg, has yet to discover if he will be suspended for more than one game.
OLYMPIQUE LYON: Lloris, Reveillere, Cris, Boumsong, Cissokho (Gomis 46), Gonalons, Makoun, Govou, Delgado (Pjanic 69), Michel Bastos, Lopez (Ederson 79). Subs not used: Vercoutre, Kallstrom, Anderson, Gassama. Sent off: Cris (60). Booked: Gonalons, Cris.
BAYERN MUNICH: Butt, Lahm, Van Buyten (Demichelis 46), Badstuber, Contento, Robben (Klose 76), Schweinsteiger (Alaba 78), Van Bommel, Altintop, Muller, Olic. Subs not used: Rensing, Gorlitz, Gomez. Booked: Altintop.
Referee: M Busacca (Switzerland).
