Bayern Munich Through To Champions League Final
Croatia striker Ivica Olic’s was the star at Stade Gerland firing in a superb hat-trick to help Bayern Munich march into their first Champions League final since 2001. The German side demolished Olympique Lyon 3-0 away, completing an aggregate 4-0 win over the French side.
Immediately after the match hundreds of Bayern fans celebrated on the streets of Munich praising the special effort by Olic.
"That was just a gorgeous match", Bayern fan Dino Castratio "We have waited for nine years and now we made to the final at last. That was a brilliant match, Olic did a great job."
Three clinical finishes, including a left foot, right foot and header from Olic helped the four-time European champions complete a 4-0 aggregate semi-final success at Stade Gerland.
Olic scored the first after 26 minutes with a neat turn and shot, and doubled his team’s lead smashing in a pass from Hamit Altintop after 67 minutes.
He completed his hat-trick with a header 12 minutes from time, registering what was only the second ever hat-trick in a Champions League semi-final.
Bayern await the winner of the other semi-final, when the second leg kicks-off at the Nou Camp, the final will take place on May 22nd at the Bernabeu in Madrid.
Meanwhile a disgruntled Lyon coach Claude Puel had no complaints after the game, admitting that they had simply been outplayed by a better team.
"Both on the defensive and the offensive they performed in every aspect of their game and I have to say that Bayern was the superior team," said Puel.
Lyon finished the game with 10 men, when centre back Cris was sent off just before the hour. Cris was booked for a foul on Olic, before being shown the second yellow card for mocking referee Massimo Busacca's decision.
Bayern's Dutch coach Louis van Gaal , was delighted with his team’s superb performance “I think we would have more of a chance against Inter Milan then there would also be the possibility for me to see my friend Jose Mourinho again,"
"I am proud and very happy to be in the final," he said.
It was sure a night to celebrate for Bayern, who had not been in the Champions League final since beating Valencia on penalties nine years ago, and the celebrations went late in the night as people in Munich danced in joy.
The hero of Bayern’s success Olic labeled his performance one of the best he has ever churned out, claiming that he was in full flow and fully focused on the job at hand, which helped him deliver the goods on the occasion. "I think the first goal was the most important for us and for the opponents because it then meant that they had to score three goals to get further. That is not easy. Then I scored the second and third goals. Semi-final, three goals - it couldn't have been any better," Olic told reporters after the game.
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