Coaches predict final to remember

The coaches of Olympique Lyonnais and 1. FFC Frankfurt agree that everything is in place for a UEFA Women's Champions League final to remember as the holders tackle the competition's most successful club in front of a likely record crowd in Munich on Thursday.

Much loved in Bavaria and beyond, the Olympiastadion is preparing to reopen its doors for its first football match in seven years, and first women's game ever. Tickets have been acquired in their tens of thousands for a fixture which will give players from both teams an opportunity to join the stellar list of names to have scored famous final goals at the venerable venue, including Gerd Müller, Trevor Francis, Marco van Basten, Basile Boli and Lars Ricken.

"This stadium is full of history," said Lyon coach Patrice Lair. "It will be a great moment for women's football to play the final at this stadium here in Munich. I still remember the beautiful pictures from Marseille winning the Champions League [in 1993] thanks to a goal from Basile Boli. As a French team, I hope we can do the same on German soil tomorrow."

Standing in the way of Les Fenottes becoming the second team after Sweden's Umeå IK to win back-to-back European crowns are Frankfurt, the sole three-time winners. No Frankfurt players remain from their maiden success in 2002, although Kerstin Garefrekes, Sandra Smisek, Meike Weber and Saskia Bartusiak featured in the 2006 and 2008 triumphs.

The one constant has been the man largely responsible for the club's rise, general manager Siegfried Dietrich, who spoke enthusiastically about the challenge ahead. "There's a new pitch and conditions are perfect for tomorrow; in fact they couldn't be more perfect for women's football and we at 1. FFC Frankfurt are proud to be here. We do have some experiences like this in our history but this is the highlight."

His coach, Sven Kahlert, needs to pick up his players after they lost the German Women's Cup final 2-0 to FC Bayern München on Saturday, although he insists they are "excited, highly motivated and very well prepared". He added: "I can promise you that we'll do everything in our power to put in a good performance and represent German football and 1. FFC Frankfurt in the best possible light."

Kahlert said "all players we brought here are fit and we don't have any problems so everything else remains to be seen on the pitch", although he did not comment on the availability of Fatmire Bajramaj, who at the weekend was said to require "a miracle" to shake off an ankle injury in time to feature.

The same could be said of Frankfurt's chances of claiming second place in the Bundesliga – they occupy fourth place and sit six points behind VfL Wolfsburg with two games to play including a trip there on Sunday. So only a win on Thursday would guarantee a return to next season's UEFA Women's Champions League. "We're very aware of that fact," said Kahlert, "so that will obviously be great for us and we're all convinced that we have a chance to win it."

Lyon have scored 32 goals and conceded none in winning their last seven league matches and on Sunday defeated Montpellier Hérault SC 2-1 in the French Cup final thanks to two Lotta Schelin goals. Lair expects "another top performance" from his team against Frankfurt but knows "it will be a huge challenge to win against a German side. They will have a 12th player with the public behind them. It wasn't easy to win this title last year but of course we want to win it again." Striker Élodie Thomis is suspended.