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Bayern Munich became the first team to qualify for the Champions League final, dispatching the challenge of Lyon with a comprehensive 3-0 win in France.

The first half was controlled by the Bundesliga club, though not to the extent they monopolised the first leg of this semi-final, but they did manage to find a much-coveted away goal when Ivica Olic pivoted to slam home from close range. Just before the hour mark, home captain Cris was controversially dismissed, before Olic added his second and third strikes of the night.

In the first 80 seconds of the encounter Lyon showed more attacking endeavour than they did in the entirety of the first leg, yet the tie was nearly killed instantly when Cris was muscled off a hopeful long ball by the tenacious Olic, who squared to the unmarked Thomas Mueller in the box. Less than 12-yards from goal, the young attacker should have buried his chance, but allowed his shot to zip wide.

Mueller would be a real menace to the home rearguard, and after a speculative Maxime Gonalons drive had flown miles off target at the other end, a quick throw to the German international allowed him to tug the ball across the six-yard box. Unfortunately for him, there were no on-rushing forwards, allowing OL to clear.

Lyon probes into German territory were proving rare, so it was little surprise when FCB moved into the ascendancy. Mueller took advantage of some horribly static defending from a throw-in to blitz past Anthony Reveillere and cut an intelligent ball back to Olic, who swivelled to shoot home from 10 yards.

Instantly OL had their first clear sight of Hans-Joerg Butt’s goal, but Michel Bastos’ side-foot volley from little more than six-yards out at the back post zipped agonisingly wide.

Now needing to commit players forward, the French club were becoming increasingly exposed at the back, with Bayern wide players Arjen Robben and Hamit Altintop both showing good touches on the counter-attack. Robben had been the decisive factor at the Allianz Arena, and striking from a similar position from which he scored last week, he had a shot ruffle the side-netting, though Hugo Lloris in the home net seemed to have the ball covered.

At the other end, Les Gones tried to finish with a flourish, but their evening to date was summed up when Cesar Delgado couldn’t get a shot on goal when presented with plenty of space at the extremity of the visiting box.

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Claude Puel reshuffled his squad at half-time, switching his men to a 4-4-2 formation, with Bafetimbi Gomis asked to support the attack. The former Saint-Etienne man had the opportunity to make an immediate impact but scooped a volley over the top of the bar from deep inside the box following a Delgado centre.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, superb once again in the centre of the park, came close to showing the France international how it should be done as he outrageously volleyed a Robben pass goalwards from fully 25 yards but the German’s crisp hit flew just a whisker over the top of the crossbar.

FCB continued to be impressive on the counter. Les Gones’ defence was constantly being tugged all over the park, and when Robben was left free at the edge of the box just before the hour mark, it seemed that he would strike. The Dutchman’s low curler was touched wide, however, as Lloris pulled off a fine save.

With an hour gone, Lyon’s challenge was effectively ended by a combination of over-officious refereeing and petulance from Cris, whose initial challenge on Olic didn’t appear to be a foul. Referee Massimo Busacca booked the centre-back for what he considered was a foul, and after the Brazilian sarcastically clapped the decision, he dully produced a second yellow card.

Though Michel Bastos finally drew a save from Butt moments later, it was soon 2-0 in favour of the Germans. Altintop broke forward purposefully down the left and waited until Olic had made his run before slipping a neat pass to the Croat, who finished beyond the exposed Lloris with an angled drive.

Suddenly the floodgates threatened to open. Dangerous crosses were frequently thrown into the home box, but the closest Die Roten would come would be through Robben, whose thumping drive down the throat of Lloris was beaten away.

A third goal was always on the cards, and it was little surprise that when it arrived, it was the industrious Olic who grabbed it, moving to the near post to thump home a header from a Philipp Lahm centre.

That proved to be the end of the scoring, but it wasn’t the end of Lyon’s torture, as they had to endure several long minutes of simply being Bayern’s plaything and Altintop should have added a fourth, but he aimed too high from close range.

The Germans fully merit their place at the Bernabeu, though they face a far greater challenge against either Inter or Barcelona when they do line-up in Madrid for the final.