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Bayern Munich beat Lyon to reach Champions League final

Kingsley Coman of Bayern Munich kicks the ball during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final match between Olympique Lyonnais and Bayern Munich at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal on Aug. 19, 2020.

Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA |    Bayern Munich defeated Olympique Lyonnais 3-0 on Wednesday to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League 2020 final.

Having beaten Barcelona 8-2 in the quarterfinal, Bayern arrived into the semifinal as heavy favorites and did not disappoint, though Lyon made life difficult for them in the opening stages.

The French side started the game well, filling the spaces and not allowing Bayern midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Leon Goretzka time and space on the ball.

Lyon even hit the post in the 16th minute, with striker Memphis Depay wasting what might have been the first goal of the game.

Lyon were made to pay for Depay’s profligacy immediately afterwards, as Serge Gnabry received a long throw from Joshua Kimmich and dribbled past three opponents before rifling an unstoppable shot past Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

Bayern doubled their lead shortly afterwards, when Ivan Perisic drilled a cross into the box, and although Robert Lewandowski’s effort hit Lopes, Gnabry was on hand to tap home the rebound to make it 2-0 after 32 minutes.

Lyon coach Rudi Garcia rang the changes at half-time, but his side was unable to overcome Bayern’s dominance, and Lewandowski made sure of the result in the dying minutes when he headed home Benjamin Pavard’s cross.

Bayern will now face French champions Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final, when the German side will be looking to win their sixth European Cup title.

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XINHUA

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