JUST-IN: Bayern thrash Lyon 3-0, to face PSG in UCL final
Bayern Munich will face PSG in the Champions League final after a Serge Gnabry brace fired the German champions past Lyon.
Former Arsenal winger Gnabry scored two first-half goals and Robert Lewandowski netted his 55th goal of the season as Bayern Munich beat Lyon 3-0 on Wednesday evening to reach their 11th Champions League final.
PSG qualified for the final for the first time in history on Tuesday with an emphatic 3-0 win over RB Leipzig. The Champions League final takes place on Sunday night in Lisbon.
Both Bayern and Lyon named unchanged teams from their quarter-final victories over Barcelona and Manchester City respectively and it was the French club who created the first opening, with Memphis Depay racing through on goal after six minutes and shooting into the side-netting.
Bayern’s first chance came courtesy of Leon Goretzka – the German midfielder’s scuffed volley forcing Anthony Lopes to make a smart save.
Despite Bayern controlling the early exchanges, Lyon – who finished seventh in Ligue 1 – looked set to open the scoring when Karl Toko Ekambi cut in from the right and slotted a shot past Manuel Neuer.
But the effort struck the post and just 58 seconds later Bayern took the lead themselves, with Gnabry beating a number of Lyon defenders with a flowing run and then rifling a brilliant strike into the top corner.
Gnabry – who spent a season on loan at West Brom five years ago – continued to threaten and tested Lopes with a powerful strike before scoring his and Bayern’s second on 33 minutes.
Needing just a tap in to score, Poland legend Robert Lewandowski somehow fluffed his lines but Gnabry was on hand to save his team-mate’s blushes and put the Germans in control of the tie.
Lyon, bidding to reach their first Champions League final, improved after the break but failed to create many clear-cut chances, except when Toko Ekambi stung Neuer’s gloves from close-range.
But with the French side desperately searching for a goal, Bayern began to take advantage in the final third and only the offside flag prevented second-half substitute Philippe Coutinho from adding a third.
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Further joy was not far away for Bayern, however, and Lewandowski rose well in the dying minutes to head home their third and his 15th of the competition.
The impressive 3-0 victory means Bayern Munich have now won all ten matches of this year’s Champions League with an aggregate score of 42-8.