The 37-year-old looks ahead to the semi-final encounter between the two clubs in Portugal
Former Olympique Lyon ace Michael Essien believes it is not beyond the French outfit to spring a surprise on favourites Bayern Munich in the clubs’ Champions League semi-final clash on Wednesday.
The two teams are set for a showdown at the neutral Jose Alvalade Stadium in a one-off fixture in Portugal, the competition’s knock-out stage format having been changed from two-legged home-and-away ties due to the coronavirus disruptions.
The winners will have a final date with Paris Saint-Germain, who beat German side RB Leipzig in the first semi-final to book what will be their first ever appearance in the Champions League final.
“It’s possible [for Lyon to win], especially in this one-off tournament format, anything can happen in 90 minutes so you can’t rule them out,” Essien told TV3.
“In the Champions League, they have the same old traits of hard work, belief and good organisation.
“They play to their strengths regardless of the opposition and that’s why they are doing so well.”
Lyon, at least, already have one major upset to show as they stung Manchester City 3-1 in the quarter-final.
Bayern, on the other hand, were as ruthless as they could possibly be as they succumbed Barcelona to an 8-2 annihilation in the last eight.
Following a move from Bastia, Essien spent two seasons between 2003 and 2005 at Lyon before joining Chelsea in a deal reportedly with £24.4 million.
During his time with OL, the midfielder won Ligue 1 in 2004 and 2005 and the Super Cup in 2003 and 2004.
“It [time with Lyon] moved me from being a young player to a senior player at a big club, so, it helped me grow up and feature on the big stage,” the 37 year-old, who went on to win the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, added.
“I gained a lot of experience in a short space of time.
“I think the set-up of the club as a whole and the longevity of the president [Jean-Michel Aulas has helped]. There has been continuity and they also know how to develop good players.
“The two [league] titles and Champions League games will be my favourite memories.”
Essien also played for Real Madrid, AC Milan, Greek side Panathinaikos, Persib Bandung in Indonesia and most recently Azerbaijani outfit Sabail.
Be the first to comment