Rocking Robben lights up Champions League, as Ribéry left red-faced
For around 37 minutes, this was a Champions League semi-final that was low on entertainment, controversy and talking points, and then one man who is capable of all three made his mark.
Specifically, his mark on the left ankle of Lyon’s Lisandro López.
Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribéry – who has had an eventful few days – made a poorly-timed and poorly-executed lunge on the Argentinian forward, sending him crumpling to the floor and sending Ribéry to the stands. For a while it looked as though it would send Bayern’s Champions League aspirations away too, only for their new hero to come to the rescue.
French international Ribéry – who along with Karim Benzema, Hatem Ben Arfa and last night’s opponent Sidney Govou is embroiled is an under-age call girl scandal in Paris – looked a troubled man from the kick-off last night. Luckily for him and his team, Arjen Robben had his game face on.
Admittedly Lyon were a shadow of the side that had made their way to the semi-finals of the competition. Perhaps it was a consequence of their 800km road journey to Munich via coach and bizarrely, minivans, while also the harsh 54th-minute red card for Jérémy Toulalan didn’t help matters, but they were well beaten on the night, and they were beaten by a startling piece of quality.
In the summer, Robben was signed to provide a sidekick to Ribéry’s superhero, but in the Champions League it is the Dutchman who has repeatedly ridden to Bayern’s rescue.
Stunning winning goals in the second round against Fiorentina and, unforgettably, the quarter-final at Old Trafford powered Bayern to this stage, and last night – in the disgraced Ribéry’s absence – he produced once again. Cutting inside onto his great left foot, his long-range effort took a slight deflection off the forward Thomas Müller. No matter, it was Robben’s goal.
For much of his career at Chelsea and Real Madrid, the winger was seen as a luxury player. He made an impact at both; he was a crucial cog in the José Mourinho title-winning machine and for much of last season he was the star at a pre-Ronaldo Real Madrid, but both clubs saw him as dispensable.
He now seems to have found a home in Munich, and after playing second fiddle to Ribéry when he joined the club, it is the Dutchman who now has the star billing. He’ll hold onto it for sometime yet too, particularly if Ribéry’s on and off field troubles continue.
The Frenchman is still being linked to several of Europe’s top clubs, and there is no doubting his talent, but if he is to end his troubled campaign with a Champions League winners’ medal around his neck, he’ll have a lot to thank Robben for.
For it is he who is the star of this team, everyone else are merely his sidekicks.
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