Manchester City search for the holy grail continued after Lyon flipped the script by recording a stunning victory in the Champions League quarter-final clash between the two sides at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.
The former Premier League champions were clear favourites to progress going into the game, and they dominated possession from the start.
However, for all of their possession, it was Rudi Garcia’s men that drew the first blood in the 24th minute. Pep Guardiola sprung a surprise by playing three at the back, but it proved to be their Achilles heel as Lyon exploited the space behind the three centre backs.
The French side opened the scoring after Ederson’s attempt to clear a long ball played into the path of Karl Toko Ekambi fell to Maxwel Cornet, who fired a left-footed curler into the near post.
It was against the run of play, but Lyon players won’t care. City tried to get back into the match and should’ve drawn level when a Kevin De Bruyne perfect pass found Raheem Sterling, but the England international was closed down before he could take a shot.
City piled on the pressure, but Lyon ended the first half ahead. However, the pressure paid off following the restart as Pep’s men restored parity through a fine strike from De Bruyne in the 69th minute.
The equalizer should’ve been the boost City needed to go on and win the game. But it was Lyon who took the lead once again, this time from Moussa Dembele, who fired past Ederson following a brilliant through ball.
City were harbouring hopes of forcing extra-time with an equalizer, but those hopes were dashed when Dembele scored his second three minutes from time to send the French side into the semi-finals.
3 – Since progressing from his first seven Champions League quarter-finals as a manager with Barcelona and FC Bayern München, Pep Guardiola has been eliminated in each of his three appearances at this stage of the competition with Man City (17-18, 18-19 & 19-20). Crushing. #UCL pic.twitter.com/szeEW7qLWG
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 15, 2020
2 – The 2019-20 Champions League semi-finals will see two French teams (PSG, Lyon) and two German teams (RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich) compete for a place in the final; the first time since 2012-13 that there are just two different nations represented at this stage. Duopoly. #UCL pic.twitter.com/YQqVsrQUT9
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 15, 2020
Lyon’s win means France have two representatives in the Champions League Semi-finals for the first time. For City, however, it has been a disappointing season as they lost their Premier League title to Liverpool, and are now out of the Champions League.
Nonetheless, they could take solace from the Carabao Cup they won at the start of March.
