Corentin Tolisso says treble-chasing Bayern Munich should be wary of his former club Lyon in Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal as the “greedy” Bavarians look to build on their demolition of Barcelona.
“From a German point of view, perhaps Lyon’s the least known team. But against Manchester City, we all saw what this team is capable of,” warned the Frenchman, who joined Bayern from Lyon in 2017.
“We will never underestimate them. When the big games come up, Lyon is always there. No team can reach the semifinals by chance,” added the 2018 World Cup winner, who is likely to start on the bench on Wednesday.
In the wake of the stunning 8-2 thrashing of Barcelona in the quarterfinals, there is an air of determination in the Bayern camp.
Akin to 2013 squad
Defender Jerome Boateng compared the current squad to the 2013 outfit which landed the first treble of Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League titles in the club’s history.
“To be honest, I noticed from day one that something was up,” remembers Boateng of the 2013 squad. “That was our big goal for the season. We played better in the Champions League from the start than we might have done in the Bundesliga. We were extremely greedy all the time.”
The current crop of Bayern stars has the same insatiable appetite, earning the nickname ‘FC Never Satisfied’ by the German media.
Bayern’s average of 4.33 goals per game is a new Champions League record. It has scored 39 goals in nine European games, including a 7-2 drubbing of Tottenham and a 6-0 romp at Red Star Belgrade.
Robert Lewandowski is the competition’s top scorer with 14 goals — three short of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2013-14 record for a Champions League season.
However, nothing is being taken for granted against Lyon.
“The next game is always the most difficult,” said Boateng despite Bayern winning its last 20 games.
“The thrashing of Barcelona now counts for nothing. Our opponent is not standing where he is for nothing,” he added.
Coach Hansi Flick should have right-back Benjamin Pavard fit again after injury.
