Olic hits hat-trick in Lyons' den to set up Bernabeu trip

Lyons 0 Bayern Munich 3 (Bayern win 4-0 on aggregate)

(REUTERS)

Within minutes of the final whistle that ended this one-sided match last night, the players of Bayern Munich were celebrating their place in the Champions League final at the Bernabeu by wearing T-shirts that boasted of their achievement.

In fact, Bayern could have worn the offending shirts from the outset, such was the certainty with which the visitors played. Their ungainly Croatian striker Ivica Olic scored a hat-trick at Stade de Gerland which presents their manager, Louis Van Gaal, with the prospect of winning the trophy again, 15 years after doing so with Ajax.

The gulf in the sides was represented by Olic's goals – with his right foot, his left foot and his head. His ungainly style belies a wicked eye for goal, as his return of seven goals in the Champions League this season testifies. Quite a record for a player signed on a free transfer from Hamburg last summer.

Lyons never managed to force their way into the tie. Bayern's young midfielder Thomas Müller wasted a glorious chance for the Germans in the third minute, but Lyons fell further behind in the tie in the 26th minute, when Müller set up Olic, who ended the move with a neat turn and finish.

Lyons threatened briefly but first Michel Bastos and then substitute Bafetimbi Gomis volleyed over with the goal beckoning.

The situation went bad to worse for Lyons when on the hour they lost their captain Cris to a ludicrous piece of refereeing by Massimo Busacca. The Lyons centre-half made a wonderfully timed challenge that the official ruled was dangerous and merited a booking. Cris sarcastically applauded the decision by clapping his hands three times, for which he was sent from the pitch by the pedantic Swiss official.

The contest was ended by Olic in the 67th minute. Bayern's Turkish midfielder Hamit Altintop slipped a precise pass to meet the run of Olic, who scored with his left past a helpless Hugo Lloris. With 13 minutes left the Croatian international recorded his hat-trick with a header from Philipp Lahm's cross as Bayern coasted to the eighth final in their history.

Olic said: "I didn't believe we could win this way. Scoring three goals in such a game is outstanding. We played very well and now we are in the final. I thought the game against Manchester United [in the previous round] was the match of my life but this one was even better, the team made it easy for me."

Bayern's winger Arjen Robben said: "I want to play Inter, definitely. It is better for us as a team. We can have difficulties against Barça."

Lyons (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Revillère, Boumsong, Cris, Cissokho (Gomis, h-t); Gonalons, Makoun; Govou, Delgado (Pjanic, 67), Bastos; Lisandro (Ederson, 79). Substitutes not used Vercoutre (gk), Kallstrom, Anderson, Gassama.

Bayern Munich (4-4-2): Butt; Lahm, Van Buyten (Demichelis, h-t), Badstuber, Contento; Robben (Klose, 76), Schweinsteiger (Alaba, 78), Van Bommel, Hamit Altintop; Mèller, Olic. Substitutes not used Rensing (gk), Gorlitz, Gomez.

Referee M Busacca (Swit).