Bayern Munich vs. Lyon score: German giants soar into Champions League final; PSG awaits
It's Bayern vs. PSG on Sunday for the trophy
German giants Bayern Munich are through to the Champions League final following a 3-0 victory against the underdog Lyon on Wednesday. A first-half double from Serge Gnabry and a late header from Robert Lewandowski were the difference in the game.
It was a game of missed chances for Lyon. Early they had two great opportunities to score. One came from Memphis Depay, whose solo run ended with a shot that hit the side netting of goal, and another that came from Karl Toko Ekambi, whose heroic run into the box ended flatly with a wasted shot on target.
A mere 58 seconds after the second missed opportunity — which, in a different universe, could have given the French side a 2-0 lead — Bayern got on the board with a beautiful howler from outside the box by former West Brom man Gnabry. He then followed that up 15 minutes later with a poached goal off a rebounded save.
Lyon were able to get some domination on the ball in the second half, but the final 45 minutes was where the talent disparity truly showed with a lack of clinical finishing and useful passes to break through Bayern's defense.
For this German side, it's a moment of slight redemption as they lost four straight semifinal ties from 2014-2018, and are now back in the Champions League final. The last time they were in this part of the competition was in the 2012-13 season, when they defeated Borussia Dortmund for their fifth European title.
Here's what to know and see from the 90 minutes on Wednesday.
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Serge Gnabry does it again
Arsenal and West Brom supporters must be shaking their heads in frustration every time Gnabry does something amazing for Bayern Munich because of what he could have been at their respective clubs. But alas, he's now in Germany proving himself to be among the best players in the competition. He showed that again Wednesday with an absolute golaso from outside the box that Anthony Lopes had no chance of saving.
Manuel Neuer comes up big
The German giant among the German giants was a huge part of the reason why Lyon was unable to get on the scoresheet Wednesday. His ability to pounce on the ball and apply pressure to the forwards made it life very difficult for them, even if they were on a one-on-one situation with him. The most notable came when Ekambi was in on goal against the German, and he was able to make a heroic save to further frustrate the attacker.
Robert Lewandowski finally gets his
Lewandowski looked to be shut down against Lyon. But that dry spell finally broke in the dying embers of the match when he solidified his side's victory with a header into the back of the net that gave the Bundesliga side a three-goal lead. The goal also got him to 55 in all competitions this season, which ties Bayern Munich legend Gerd Muller for the most goals in a season by a player in club history.
Notable performances
Let's rate some of the notable performances on the day, with one being the worst and 10 being perfection:
Serge Gnabry, Bayern Munich
Opened the scoring with a rocket shot and got his second before halftime. Just clinical. His first goal was one of the best of the entire cup. RATING: 9
Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich
Made some really important saves including in the second half when Lyon were trying to get back into the game. Just stellar. RATING: 8
Memphis Depay, Lyon
Had a fantastic chance four minutes in and missed. Taken off in second half. Just looked outmatched against Bayern's patient defense. RATING: 4
A look ahead
Bayern will now face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final taking place on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. Bayern, an 11-time finalist, will face off against a Parisian side that has never before made a European final in club history. The last time the Bundesliga club faced off against a French opponent was in 1976 with a 2-0 victory against AS Saint-Etienne.
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CBS was with you the entire way providing updates, analysis and highlights below.
Bayern Munich 3, Lyon 0 (FINAL)
⚽Bayern: Gnabry (18')
⚽Bayern: Gnabry (33')
⚽Bayern: Lewandowski (88')