Lahm plays down impact of Lyon’s travel woes
The French side were forced to make the journey by road after the ash cloud caused by Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull brought about the closure of much of Europe’s airspace.
The 800-kilometre journey ultimately entailed around 10 hours of travelling, split up by an overnight stay in Stuttgart, before Claude Puel’s men arrived in Munich at 12.30pm on Monday.
“I think it’s bothersome before a match like this,” Lahm conceded.
“But on the day of the match you are so full of adrenaline, you won’t think about it.”
The Germany full-back feels defence holds the key as his side seek to establish a first-leg advantage.
“Semi-finals are usually balanced,” he said. “I think they have respect for us, they know we can always score, but they are also very strong. We are in very good form, though. We will try not to concede a goal – 1-0 would be good, 2-0 would be better and a win always better than a draw.”
Assistant coach Andries Jonker deputised for Louis van Gaal both at the press conference and in yesterday’s training session, with the latter absent due to a family funeral at home in Holland.
Van Gaal is due back in time for the match and will have a full-strength team save for the suspension of captain Mark van Bommel.
Jonker, though, played down the Holland midfielder’s absence, noting: “We’ve played well without him before.”
For his part, Lyon coach Claude Puel has urged his players not to think of their clash with Bayern as the end of the road for them in the competition.
“Everything is possible for us, as much as for Bayern,” he said. “It is important to do well in the first match and not hypothesise over the second.
“Bayern are a huge team and it will be difficult but very equal.”
Lyon have seven players who will be suspended for the return leg if they pick up another booking, with Aly Cissokho, Cesar Delgado, Maxime Gonalons, Kim Kallstrom, Cris, Miralem Pjanic and Jeremy Toulalan all desperate to avoid a yellow card.
Puel insists that will not affect the way they face the clash.
“There’s no calculations to make and no holding back,” he added. “We have quite a few players who could be suspended but that’s how it is.
“These are the hazards and we will deal with it if it happens.”
Francois Clerc, Joan Hartock, Mathieu Bodmer and Jean-Alain Boumsong miss out through injury while Dejan Lovren is ineligible for the competition.
Meanwhile, the French Football Federation has come out in support of players implicated in a sex scandal, insisting the quartet – including Bayern star Franck Ribery – are innocent until proven otherwise.
Four France internationals have been questioned by French police over allegations of having sex with an under-age prostitute who they met at a popular Parisian nightclub, although none of them have yet been charged.
Widespread reports suggest Lyon striker Sidney Govou is among the quartet, something he and his club have strenuously denied.
France football’s governing body (FFF) are refusing to comment on the matter but insist they have every faith in the justice system.
A statement on the official website read: “The French Football association have learnt about the prostitution scandal which implicates simply as witnesses at this stage some footballers from the France team.
“The Federation has every confidence in the justice system to carry the investigation through and identify those possibly responsible.”
Prostitution is legal in France but the girl in question was a minor at the time.
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