Ivica Olic netted a hat-trick as Bayern Munich beat Lyon 3-0 on Tuesday to qualify for the Champions League final.
The striker extended Bayern’s 1-0 lead from last week’s semi-final first leg in Munich in the first half and put the tie beyond Lyon’s reach with a pair of strikes in the second period.
“It’s incredible to win by this scoreline and to have scored three goals,” a jubilant Olic said. “This is perhaps the best match of my life, but above all it’s a great overall performance by the team.
PHOTO : AFP
“We have to repeat this now in the final itself,” the Croatian said.
Lyon were bidding to reach their first ever European final, but saw Michel Bastos and Bafetimbi Gomis spurn the best chances that came their way.
Bayern were missing France winger Franck Ribery after his dismissal in the first leg, but they were barely troubled by a Lyon team that failed to muster a sustained attacking threat.
Coach Louis van Gaal will be aiming to become just the third man to guide two different teams to Europe’s top club honor, having tasted Champions League glory with Ajax in 1995.
After seeing his side outplayed in Munich, Lyon coach Claude Puel made his attacking intentions clear by naming wingers Bastos, Sidney Govou and Cesar Delgado in his lineup, in support of Lisandro Lopez.
Bayern’s injury problems meant Holger Badstuber had to move into the center of the defense, with 19-year-old Diego Contento taking his place at leftback, but it was the home defense that found itself under pressure first.
With barely two minutes on the clock, Olic robbed Cris wide on the right and centered for Thomas Mueller, but with only Hugo Lloris to beat he clipped his first-time shot narrowly wide from 10m out.
Mueller then flashed a cross across goal, before Bayern scored the night’s first psychological blow when Mark van Bommel drew a foul from Maxime Gonalons that earned the youngster a booking and a potential suspension for the final.
The goal the Lyon fans dreaded arrived in the 26th minute when Robben’s pass found Mueller, who teed up Olic to spin away from his marker and score.
The noise of the Bayern fans’ drums replaced the roar of the home support and they grew even louder when Bastos spurned a superb chance for an equalizer by volleying wide from close range.
Puel introduced Gomis at halftime and the former Saint-Etienne striker sent a thumping volley high over the Bayern crossbar when a left-wing cross fell to him at the back post shortly after his introduction.
Bastian Schweinsteiger flashed an eye-catching half-volley narrowly over as Bayern looked to kill the game off, before Lloris produced a fine save to push away Robben’s low curling effort.
Lyon’s evening went from bad to worse shortly before the hour when Cris received his marching orders, picking up two yellow cards in the space of a minute for fouling Olic and then sarcastically applauding the referee’s decision to book him.
The hosts responded with a stinging shot from Govou that Hans-Joerg Butt palmed away, before Olic killed off any lingering hopes of a comeback by scampering onto Hamit Altintop’s pass and beating Lloris with a crisp finish.
Olic secured possession of the match ball in the 77th minute when he nodded home Philipp Lahm’s cross from the right.
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