German
juggernauts Bayern Munich will aim to play in their first Champions League
final since 2013 by knocking out underdogs Olympique Lyonnais in the second
semifinal on Wednesday.

The German champions have
positioned themselves as tournament favourites following their 8-2 thumping of
Barcelona
in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Thomas Muller and Barcelona loanee
Philippe Coutinho both scored twice against the Catalans with top-scorer Robert
Lewandowski also adding to his 13 goals in the tournament so far.

The Polish
striker is three strikes away from Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 17 goals in a single
season and will look to surpass that mark by helping his side prevail against
Lyon and subsequently PSG in the final on August 23.

The Bavarians
were irrepressible in their clash against Barcelona, as they have been throughout
their European campaign this year, winning all nine matches so far.

They have maintained
similar form in all competitions since coach Hansi Flick took over from Niko
Kovac on an interim basis in November last year, highlighted by their 27
wins in 28 games since their last defeat to Borrusia Monchengladbach on December
7.

Also Read: Paris Saint-Germain beat RB Leipzig to reach first-ever Champions League final

Flick, who
also oversaw Germany’s 7-1 drubbing of Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup winning campaign as assistant to Joachim Low, has thrived at Bayern’s helm, with key
decisions like giving a more central role to midfielder Leon Goretzka and
playing breakthrough Canadian teenager Alphonso Davies at left back helping turn
Bayern into one of the most well-rounded teams in Europe.

Bolstered by defender Benjamin Pavard’s return to fitness, who had
sustained an ankle injury last month, Bayern will be eyeing a second ‘treble’ of trophies, having already won the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal.

However,
they come up against a Lyon side who have been on a giant-killing spree under
the guidance of Frenchman Rudi Garcia, having already eliminated heavyweights Juventus
and Manchester City in the knockout rounds.   

Despite
their dismal domestic campaign, finishing 7th in the curtailed Ligue
1 season, Lyon have been a different prospect in the Champions League.

A hard to break down team, Lyon present a constant threat from lethal counter
attacks, with forward duo Memphis Depay and Moussa Dembele, who have scored a
combined 37 goals in all competitions, particularly flourishing in this role. 

The fact
that Bayern are a team that dominate possession high up the pitch with acres of
space behind their backline might conveniently play into Garcia and Lyon’s
hands.

The enticing clash will be played at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon. The two sides last met in the semi-finals of the 2009-10 season, with Bayern progressing to the final following a 4-0 victory on aggregate.