Bayern Munich are the clear favourites to reach the competition’s final after strolling past Chelsea and Barcelona in the previous stages of the competition.
Lyon on the other hand defied the odds to beat Juventus and Manchester City in the Round of 16 and quarter-final stages respectively, but face a daunting task against the German champions at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
In an interview with TV3, Essien, who played for Lyon between 2003 and 2005 before moving to Chelsea, has warned Hans-Dieter Flick’s men not to underestimate Rudi Garcia’s side.
“It’s possible [for Lyon to win], especially in this one-off tournament format, anything can happen in 90 minutes so you can’t rule them out," the former Ghana international said.
“In the Champions League, they have the same old traits of hard work, belief and good organisation.”
"They play to their strengths regardless of the opposition and that’s why they are doing so well.”
Essien reflected on his time in Lyon and insists playing at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais helped him grow as a footballer and a man.
“It [time with Lyon] moved me from being a young player to a senior player at a big club, so, it helped me grow up and feature on the big stage," the 37 year-old added.
“I gained a lot of experience in a short space of time.
