The most shocking result, by far, came when Bayern Munich annihilated Barcelona 8-2. There has been much discussion on how everything tactically, mentally, physically, and philosophically went wrong for the Blaugrana.
Yet, Barça was mentally and physically finished after an hour. It is no coincidence that as a result, the German champions knocked in an additional four goals.
More from Champions League
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- Manchester City win their first Champions League
- Champions League Final: Manchester City meets Internazionale in Istanbul
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- Barcelona Femeni win their second Champions League title
As stated, the German top-flight re-started before all the other leagues and finished much earlier as a result. Bayern played only four matches between June 15th and their 2nd leg against Chelsea.
The Bavarians had 35 days off between winning the DFB-Pokal final and the Champions League re-start.
The much older Barcelona side had played ten matches since mid-June and only 20 days off in-between competitions.
Lyon planned out and executed their match against Manchester City perfectly. Pep Guardiola tried to tinker with the backline, but again the pace of the French side overwhelmed his tiring team at the end.
Their decisive goals came in the 79th and 87th minutes.
The 7th place finishers in the French first division had 145 days off between the end of the domestic league and one warm-up match one week before facing Juventus in their Champions League return.
Man City had played 12 matches since June 15th and only had 12 days off between competitions before facing Real Madrid.
Each Champions League semi-finalist had significantly more mental and physical rest than their opponents in the quarters. This turned into a significant factor in the last 30 minutes of each match as the clubs they were facing were worn down.
Lyon, PSG, Bayern, and Leipzig are all deserving winners. They outplayed their opponents tactically and physically. However, their time off can not be discounted. It will be a more even playing field in the next stage of the Champions League, but even there, the French have an advantage when it comes to rest.
Maybe UEFA was right about something after all.