Bayern Munich v Lyon: 5 Players to watch out for | Champions League 2019-20
In the second match of the semi-final stage of this season's UEFA Champions League campaign, title favourites Bayern Munich take on giant-killers Olympique Lyonnais.
On paper, the German champions are heavy favourites to beat the 7th placed side in France's Ligue 1. Bayern Munich have a far superior squad, filled with world-class players in just about every position. Even their squad depth is unparalleled among the remaining teams.
That being said, Lyon seem to be relishing the underdog tag given to them. They were given little to no chance of beating either Juventus or Manchester City, yet they managed to put in big-time shifts and now find themselves in uncharted territory, among Europe's finest.
The fact that each of these rounds have been reduced to one match instead of two-legged ties works in Lyon's favour as they know that they only need to give it their absolute best for 90, or 120 minutes, instead of 180 or 210 minutes.
Let's take a look at 5 players whose performance will go a long way into deciding the outcome of this match.
#5 Anthony Lopes (Lyon)
Lyon's Portuguese goalkeeper Anthony Lopes is a club legend in every sense of the word. He has made over 300 appearances for the club since making his debut in 2012. He has been one of their best performers in recent history and people are finally beginning to recognise that.
Lopes was fantastic against both Juventus and Manchester City, and played a huge role in his team's unlikely wins over the two European heavyweights.
His shot-stopping has been very dependable of late, but it is his distribution in particular that has caught the eye. The 29-year-old isn't heralded as one of the planet's best ball-playing goalkeepers, but he is quite adept at that skill.
His communication with Lyon's back 3 is one of the reasons behind their great success so far, and the Frenchmen will need another big night from him to keep Bayern Munich's star forwards at bay.
#4 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
The Raumdeuter is in the form of his lifetime.
2014 World Cup winner Thomas Muller is one of the world's most complete footballers right now, and he's loving every minute of it. He's a part of everything Bayern Munich create, and is an irreplacable part of their offense.
He is the best he has ever been as a creator, lodging over 20 assists in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich this season, breaking the league record in the process.
He has always been a reputed goalscorer, operating in spaces created by the presence of the main striker - in this case, Robert Lewandowski. In recent times, he has developed his game to much, much more than that, and he deserves all the credit in the world for the same.
Muller is in red-hot form for Bayern Munich going into this game, having scored a brace against Barcelona in the 8-2 demolition. At this moment, it is difficult to see him faltering any time soon. If all goes to plan, Muller will put in yet another instrumental performance and lead Bayern Munich to victory.