Updated: April 22, 2010, 8:53 AM UK
• Lomas: Robben steals Ribery's headlines
again
• Wednesday night gallery
Bayern enjoyed the better of a game, which both sides ended with
just 10 men, but they were only rewarded with a slender advantage
to take with them to the Stade Gerland next Tuesday.
Franck Ribery was shown a straight red card for the hosts in the
37th minute before Jeremy Toulalan quickly collected two yellows
early in the second half.
But it was Robben who stole the headlines, following up the
deciding goal in the quarter-final against Manchester United with a
deflected shot to put Bayern marginally ahead in a finely poised
tie.
After 10 minutes of getting to know each other, Bayern launched
the first wave of attacks with Daniel van Buyten getting on the end
of an Ivica Olic cross in the 12th minute, but sending his volley
high and wide.
Ribery's corner in the 13th minute was punched over the crossbar
by Hugo Lloris, who came to try and meet the subsequent corner only
to fall short. Fortunately for him, Bastian Schweinsteiger sent his
free-header wide from close range.
A neat pass through the legs of Anthony Reveillere from Diego
Contento sent Ribery through in the 18th minute and he skipped past
Cris before shooting wide of the near post from 20 yards.
Olic then missed an even better chance as Bayern increased the
pressure and pegged Lyon back inside their own half.
It took Lyon half an hour to muster their first shot on goal
with Ederson's shot from just outside the area deflected behind and
heralding the first period of pressure from the French team.
It has been a difficult week for Franck Ribery, who has taken
all the wrong headlines for his conduct off the field, and things
got worse for him in the 37th minute when he was sent off by
Italian referee Robert Rosetti for lunging in on Lisandro, almost
out of frustration at not being given a free-kick moments
early.
Rosetti had a perfect view of the incident and showed no
hesitation in brandishing the red card.
The Italian has already upset Germany with his officiating of
the Euro 2008 final against Spain and the Bundesliga side will not
be too happy with this decision which not only meant they had to
play over 50 minutes without Ribery, but also that they will be
without a key player in France next week.
Bayern did not give the impression of being one man down as they
continued to take the game to Lyon at the start of the second half
and a mazy run into the box by Philipp Lahm provided the next
opening, but his drag back was missed by Thomas Muller.
Parity in personnel was restored in the 54th minute when
Toulalan picked up his second yellow card in three minutes to join
compatriot Ribery in the dressing rooms.
The time had come for Robben to take charge of the situation and
he sent his first warning on the hour mark with a shot wide of the
far post.
Mario Gomez should have done better with Robben's cross in the
68th minute, but his error was forgotten less than 60 seconds later
when Robben's 25-yard effort deviated off the head of Muller into
the bottom corner of Lloris' goal.
Robben almost set up a second for Gomez in the 85th minute
before being removed by Louis van Gaal, who had to placate his
compatriot who clearly was not happy to have been forced to leave
his stage before the final curtain fell, which it did shortly
afterwards with Bayern just one encore away from the final.