LISBON, Portugal (AP) – A few missed opportunities at the start forces Lyon to challenge Bayern Munich for a spot in the Champions League final.
Lyon got off to a smart start in Wednesday’s semi-final at the Alvalade Stadium, but failed to capitalize on its opportunities and ended up wasting 3-0, without what would have been their first definitive appearance in Europe’s most productive club competition. .
“While we can be proud of our career and the game we play today, of course we are disappointed,” said Lyon coach Rudi Garcia. “We were unlucky at the beginning of the game because we had both the biggest chances.
“We’re early,” Garcia added. “We had a sense of injustice that pushed us back, even though we didn’t give up at the time halfway.”
Strikers Karl Toko Ekambi and Memphis Depay were guilty of the setbacks that may have replaced Lyon’s history.
Depay arrived almost 4 minutes after a getaway that left him in front of Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, but his biased shot failed over the net.
In the 17th, Ekambi advanced two defenders in the area and his shot at the left foot hit the nearest pole.
“I don’t think we can regret the way we played in the first 15 minutes because we had two great opportunities,” said Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes. “We may have only been 2-0. At those higher levels. The games you pay for not showing off your luck.”
And Lyon was forced to pay immediately.
A minute after Ekambi’s lack, Bayern opened the scoring through Serge Gnabry and took the match.
“We were a little lucky not to fall at first, but then we showed our quality,” Neuer said. “We try to put Lyon under pressure and create some smart opportunities. It was a great goal from Gnabry that came at the right time.
Gnarbry took the lead at 33 and Robert Lewandowski sealed the victory at 88 to set a maximum between the German force and Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.
“We miss the power ahead of the goal,” Lyon Marcelo’s defence said: “I’m proud of my team, we face a wonderful team and we play at the same level.”
Bayern manager Hansi Flick admitted it was a difficult start against Lyon, who had eliminated Juventus from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 16-year circular and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the quarter-finals.
“We knew it would be difficult, they came here after wonderful performances against City and Juventus,” Flick said. “They are tactically strong and mess us up from the beginning.”
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