Champions League: Bayern Munich vs. Lyon Match Pick
By Shawn Young
BAYERN MUENCHEN (-0.5, -135, 2,5 FLAT) vs. LYON
Bayern humped Hannover 7-0 and Lyon drew Bordeaux 2-2 away Saturday.
Most recent meeting: 2008-09 group stage:
Bayern 1, Lyon 1
Lyon 2, Bayern 3
It’s starting to look like Bayern is destiny’s team in this competition. Bayern needed a win away to Juventus just to reach the knockouts and won 4-1. Bayern squeaked past Fiorentina on away goals largely because of a goal where Miroslav Klose was several yards offside. Behind 4-2 on aggregate, Bayern then picked itself up off the canvas to score twice at Old Trafford in the last 50 minutes to edge Manchester United on away goals in the quarters.
Lyon has dominated the French league in recent years, but has fallen off the pace this year. Despite all that domestic success, this is Lyon’s first Champions’ League semifinal. Lyon’s squad is not deep and the Champions’ League run has made a dent in this year’s French league performance.
Bayern is deeper. The club seeks a treble this spring. Along with the Champions’ League, Bayern is in the German Cup final and leads the Bundesliga by two points with three rounds left.
Bayern’s the play. They’re too good at home. In 16 German Bundesliga matches, Bayern has 11 wins, four draws and only one loss. In the Champions’ League home games, Bayern has Man United’s scalp.
Bayern coach Luis van Gaal riled up his side before the Hannover game by saying he had “a few sissies” in his team. He’ll have them fired up again here. Of this year’s transfers, van Gaal’s Dutch compatriot, Arjen Robben, has responded best to the coach’s style.
Lyon have had to make the trip to Munich by bus because of the ash cloud over European skies. The French side spent Monday night in Stuttgart.
The gossip is all about Bayern’s French midfield maestro Franck Ribery and his sex scandal. You think Tiger Woods has problems? He was pulled off on Saturday after 70 minutes with a minor injury.
There’s some question as to whether he’ll switch clubs this summer and where he’ll go. Tuesday, Ribery, France’s most famous recent convert to Islam, admitted having sex with a child prostitute but swears he thought she was 18. He’s going to play through it. He’ll still be the best man on the pitch.
Pick: Bayern 2, Lyon 1