Not Manchester City, but Olympique Lyon are waiting for Bayern in the semi-finals. The French club is going into the final week of the final tournament in Lisbon as a big underdog, but believes it has a chance.
Lisbon (dpa) - Even in France, few had expected the coup against Pep Guardiola. On Sunday morning, Olympique Lyon's first league game of the new season was scheduled for 23 August - the day of the Champions League final in Lisbon.
After the surprising 3-1 in the quarter-finals against Manchester City, Lyon will not fly home anytime soon. On Wednesday (9 p.m.) the semi-final duel against the German record champions FC Bayern Munich awaits. And the Lyon professionals believe in their great opportunity.
"We deserve to be here," said coach Rudi Garcia after the game against the Guardiola-trained Citizens. "I hope we can make it to the final. We can really hope to do that." In the round of 16, OL had defeated the Italian record champions Juventus Turin around superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
"What a coup, Rudi, this time against City," wrote the newspaper "Le Progrès" from Lyon. "There is still room for all the dreams of Lyon's footballers and fans." The newspaper "Le Figaro" said: "Rudi Garcia had foreseen it correctly. Incidentally, the Lyon coach is often forecasting it correctly at the moment. In a lot of things and against the most prestigious opponents."
Lyon has a long history in the Champions League with FC Bayern. The two clubs have met in eight games so far, most recently in the semi-finals in 2010, when the German record champions prevailed with two wins. The group game on November 5, 2003 was remembered when the French played 1: 2 at Bayern Munich's Giovane Elber, who was celebrated emotionally and loudly by the Munich fans after the goal against his ex-club.
"Bayern are the top favorites," said Moussa Dembélé, double goal scorer against Man City, on Saturday evening. "This is a big club, we have to be ready." In the previous Ligue 1 season, which was canceled due to the coronavirus, Lyon was only rated seventh. A complaint to the French Council of State remained ineffective. In order to be in the premier class again next season, Lyon would have to win the final tournament in Portugal.
Like Bayern, Olympique had a lot of preparation time. "The fitness trainer found perfect solutions," said Garcia. The fact that Paris Saint-Germain are in the semi-finals against RB Leipzig "is great for French football". PSG's first league game in the 2020/21 season was postponed to mid-September.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200816-99-186176 / 2
Champions League schedule
Olympique Lyon
Manchester city
Ligue 1
