Lyon vs Bayern Munich
Time- India: 12.30 AM (Thursday), UK: 8.00 PM (Wednesday)
Venue- Estadio Jose Alvalade (Lisbon)
Lyon and Bayern Munich will face off at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Wednesday evening for a place in the UEFA Champions League final.
The Bavarians inflicted a humiliating 8-2 defeat on Barcelona to book a place in the semi-finals of the premier European competition.
Meanwhile, Les Gones caused a massive quarter-final upset by beating Manchester City 3-1 to secure a place in the penultimate stage of the tournament for the first time in a decade.
Lyon vs Bayern Munich: Road to the semi-finals
Lyon
September 17, 2019: Lyot 1-1 Zenit Saint Petersburg
October 2, 2019: RB Leipzig 0-2 Lyon
October 23, 2019: Benfica 2-1 Lyon
November 5, 2019: Lyon 3-1 Benfica
November 27, 2019: Zenit Saint Petersburg 2-0 Lyon
December 10, 2019: Lyon 2-2 RB Leipzig
February 26, 2020: Lyon 1-0 Juventus
August 7, 2020: Juventus 2-1 Lyon
August 15, 2020: Manchester City 1-3 Lyon
Bayern Munich
September 18, 2019: Bayern Munich 3-0 Crvena Zvezda
October 1, 2019: Tottenham Hotspur 2-7 Bayern Munich
October 22, 2019: Olympiacos 2-3 Bayern Munich
November 6, 2019: Bayern Munich 2-0 Olympiacos
November 26, 2019: Crvena Zvezda 0-6 Bayern Munich
December 11, 2019: Bayern Munich 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
February 25, 2020: Chelsea 0-3 Bayern Munich
August 8, 2020: Bayern Munich 4-1 Chelsea
August 14, 2020: Barcelona 2-8 Bayern Munich
Lyon vs Bayern Munich: Head-to-head record
Total played: 8
Lyon wins: 2
Bayern Munich wins: 4
Draws: 2
Wednesday’s encounter will be the ninth meeting between Lyon and Bayern Munich. The Bavarians have a historical advantage over their French opponents, having won four games, lost two and drew two.
The last time the two sides met in competitive action was also in the Champions League semi-finals. The Bavarians won both legs (1-0, 3-0) to reach the final under Louis van Gaal in the 2009-10 season.
Lyon vs Bayern Munich: Recent form
Lyon recent form (in all competitions): W-W-L-L-W
Bayern Munich recent form (in all competitions): W-W-W-W-W
Lyon vs Bayern Munich: Team news
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich are expected to be without the services of Benjamin Pavard, who picked up an ankle injury in training last month. The versatile defender returned to training on Monday but Hansi Flick is unlikely to use him against Lyon.
Injuries: Benjamin Pavard
Lyon
Lyon have no injuries or suspensions ahead of the monumental semi-final clash, with Rudi Garcia unlikely to make any kind of changes to the side.
Injuries: N/A
Lyon vs Bayern Munich: Predicted XI
Lyon Predicted XI (3-5-2): Anthony Lopes; Jason Denayer, Marcelo, Fernando Marcal; Leo Dubois, Maxence Caqueret, Bruno Guimaraes, Houssem Aouar, Maxwel Cornet; Memphis Depay, Karl Toko Ekambi
Bayern Munich Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; Joshua Kimmich, Jerome Boateng, David Alaba, Alphonso Davies; Thiago, Leon Goretzka; Ivan Perisic, Thomas Müller, Serge Gnabry; Robert Lewandowski
Lyon vs Bayern Munich: Where to watch
India: Sony Ten 2/ Sony Ten 2 HD
UK: BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate
Lyon vs Bayern Munich: Live stream details
India: Sony Network’s SonyLiv app
UK: BT Sport app
Lyon vs Bayern Munich: Prediction
If there was any question about Bayern Munich’s status as Champions League favourites before, the 8-2 rout of Barcelona serves as a fitting answer to the doubters as well as a clear reminder of just how dominant Hansi Flick’s team has been on either side of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bavarians are on a 29-game unbeaten run in all competitions and are yet to taste defeat this year, with their previous loss coming in December 7 against Borussia Monchengladbach.
They also boast a 100 per cent record in the elite European competition this season, winning all nine games and scoring a staggering 39 goals.
Meanwhile, Lyon may have tactically outclassed Manchester City in the quarter-finals but they mustn’t forget that their Bundesliga opponents are a more merciless and less wasteful machine.
We can expect an admirable performance from Les Gones, who have done incredibly well to get this far in the competition and are unlikely to give up a finals berth without a fight.
While there is an element of uncertainty because of the current format of the Champions League, it’s difficult to see Rudi Garcia’s men getting the better of this absolutely terrifying Bayern Munich side.
Lyon vs Bayern Munich final verdict: 1-4
Also Read: RB Leipzig vs PSG: Preview, team news, predicted XI and more: UCL 2019-20