Bayern Munich vs Lyon
It’s very odd when a Champions League semi-final is taking place on the same evening as qualifiers for next year’s competition.
But, in a COVID-disrupted campaign, needs must
However, there is no doubt the main focus is firmly on two Franco-German clashes, the second of which will see favourites Bayern Munich take on surprise semi-finalists Lyon in the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
Talking Points
Before you even assess the SBOBET Champions League betting odds, you must ask yourself: how can you back against a side which has just demolished two of Europe’s biggest names in a week.
As if a 7-1 aggregate thrashing of Chelsea wasn’t convincing enough, the 8-2 demolition of Barcelona was a humiliation delivered on a scale rarely seen at the top level of the game.
In the words of reporter Jordan Maciel: “If you weren’t on the Bayern hype train before, you will be (now).”
Bayern have simply swept aside every opponent they have faced in the competition this season, scoring 39 goals on the way. The players are still reluctant to get drawn into talk of a treble, but it’s hard to ignore the comparisons with their 2013 side under Jupp Heynckes.
That is just part of the majestic march to glory.
In a scintillating run of results since the turn of the year, they have played 24 matches in 2020 and not been defeated. In total, their unbeaten streak stretches back 28 fixtures to the 3-1 win over Spurs in their final Champions League Group B game last December.
Meanwhile, since early February, the Bundesliga champions have won all 19 matches across the league, German Cup and in Europe – a record run for a German club in professional football. In that time, they’ve netted 64 goals (3.4 per game) and conceded just 15.
No wonder no-one fancies Lyon to prevail.
On saying that, no-one expected them to knock out Juventus or Manchester City either so once again Rudi Garcia’s team have nothing to lose as they continue to show Europe they are a dangerous outfit that cannot be underestimated.
Fuelled by the sense of injustice felt at a seventh-placed Ligue 1 finish decided on a point-per-game basis following the early termination of the 2019/20 French top-flight season, this competition represents their only chance of European football next term.
That they have reached the penultimate stage of European football’s premier club competition for the first time in a decade and inflicted upon City a third quarter-final loss in succession is one achievement, repeating the feat against Bayern would be another.
If Bayern do have a weakness, though, it is they can be unsettled by quick attacking players and in Memphis Depay, Toko Ekambi and their quarter-final hero Moussa Dembele, Lyon have those aplenty.
They also have a dangerous wing cast of the impressive Maxwel Cornet and Léo Dubois.
Bayern and their goal machine Robert Lewandowski are firm favourites but the key man for me could be the most underrated player in world football right now.
Thomas Muller has 118 goals and 145 Bundesliga assists, polishing off nine Bundesliga titles, six DFB Cups and the UEFA Champions League along the way.
Victory on Wednesday and he will be potentially 90 minutes away from another.
History
Lyon and Bayern have plenty of Champions League highlights between them and have met competitively on eight previous occasions, with Bayern winning four of those matches.
Lyon have won two, with a pair of draws.
Lyon were the French side to beat throughout the noughties, winning all seven of their league titles in succession between 2002 and 2008. It was during that decade that all previous ties with Bayern took place in the Champions League, including a famous win at Munich’s Olympiastadion when Bayern legend Giovane Elber scored the winner for the French club – just five months after making the switch – and received a standing ovation from 59,000 spectators.
The last two encounters came 10 years ago as the sides once again met in the semi-finals.
The first leg was a tight affair at the Allianz Arena, but Arjen Robben’s long-range strike gave Bayern the advantage in a game both sides finished with 10 men. The return fixture was much more conclusive as Louis van Gaal’s side won 3-0 at the Stade Gerland, thanks to an Ivica Olic hat-trick.
Betting Tip
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Bayern Munich vs Lyon | Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.31 |
| August 20, 03:00 (GMT+8) |
Bayern Munich 1X2 @ 1.22 or Lyon 1X2 @ 10.00?
It’s no contest really when you put it like that.
I do expect Bayern to win from the outset and perhaps you fancy First Half Asian Handicap Bayern -0.75 @ 1.81 or -1.00 @ 2.31.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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