Bleeding Olic shows his worth to treble chasing Bayern
Wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben usually carry Bayern Munich`s attacking threat but the German side can now add the energetic Ivica Olic to their list of potential match-winners.
|Last Updated: Apr 28, 2010, 02:21 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Munich: Wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben usually carry Bayern Munich`s attacking threat but the German side can now add the energetic Ivica Olic to their list of potential match-winners.
The Croatia striker scored a hat-trick as Bayern thrashed Olympique Lyon 3-0 away on Tuesday to book a place in next month`s Champions League final 4-0 on aggregate.
Olic, who became only the second player to net a hat-trick in a Champions League semi-final after Alessandro Del Piero`s treble for Juventus against Monaco in 1998, pointed at his bleeding head after netting the third with a header despite a deep gash.
"I didn`t want to be substituted because I had the feeling I could score another couple," he told reporters after he took his tally to seven goals in the Champions League this season, just one behind top scorer Barcelona`s Lionel Messi.
Bayern will play either Barcelona or Inter Milan at Madrid`s Bernabeu stadium in the final on May 22.
"The first goal was the most important because then they had to score three goals to get further and that`s not very easy," Olic said.
"Then I just did the second and the third, you can`t get better than that. It was a dream," said Olic, looking a bit astonished by his hat-trick.
The 30-year-old striker, who joined Bayern on a free transfer from Hamburg SV, has already scored important goals in his first season with the four-times European champions.
He netted Bayern`s first at Old Trafford to spark the German`s comeback after they trailed 3-0 against Manchester United in the previous round.
"Scoring three goals in such a game is outstanding... I thought the game against Manchester United was the match of my life but this one was even better, the team made it easy for me," he said.
His coach and team mates were full of praise for his fighting spirit.
"He scored three but his discipline was also fantastic tonight. We know we can always count on him," coach Louis van Gaal told reporters.
Former Real Madrid and Chelsea winger Robben praised Olic`s performance.
"He`s unbelievable", the Dutch winger said. "What I like about him is that he always gives more than 100 percent in every game.”
"He keeps running and sometime you have to stop him. He`s so energetic, a great player and very important for us," Robben added.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.