By Norma V Hansen.
On Saturday, Lyon delivered a stunning performance against Manchester City, winning 3-1 to secure their spot in the Champions League semifinals.
The French team got off to an excellent start, neutralizing Manchester City’s forward momentum and ultimately taking the lead in the 24th minute with an inventive finish from Maxwel Cornet just outside the box.
In the second half, the English team escalated their efforts, and the intensity paid off when Kevin de Bruyne calmly netted the equalizer. However, substitute Moussa Dembélé then netted twice, propelling Lyon forward.
Lyon is set to clash with Bayern Munich in the semifinal on Wednesday, after the German squad moved on by defeating Barcelona 8-2 on Friday.
For the first time since the 1990/91 season, and in the Champions League era, there will be no English, Spanish, or Italian teams featured in the semifinal round. Additionally, this marks the first occasion in Champions League history where two French teams will compete at this stage.
Belgian midfielder de Bruyne reflected on yet another painful exit from the tournament, stating it’s “not acceptable.”
“It’s definitely the same issues. I think the first half was inadequate,” he told BT Sport post-match. “We’re aware of that.
“We started sluggishly, lacking options. I think we performed quite well in the second half. We equalized at 1-1, created a couple of opportunities, but then naturally the 2-1 goal, followed by the 3-1, sealed our fate. It’s unfortunate to finish this way.
“The match was competitive, but they didn’t really generate chances outside of the two goal opportunities. Yes, we need to learn. It’s not satisfactory.”
READ: ‘The club requires changes’ Shifts on the horizon for Barcelona following Champions League disgrace.
With its star performers and a colossal head coach, Manchester City was heavily favored to triumph over Lyon.
Nevertheless, the French squad had demonstrated its fortitude in the second leg against Juventus in the prior round, managing to scrape past Cristiano Ronaldo and his team despite being nearly five months without competitive action.
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL !!!!!!@MDembele_10 scores the third goal! LET’S GO! #ManCityOL pic.twitter.com/D2ZN5t2PdM
— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) August 15, 2020
And their tenacity was tested right from the start. Manchester City held a strong grip on possession from the very first whistle but failed to generate any significant opportunities.
Ultimately, Lyon’s capacity to counter-attack yielded the game’s opening goal. A pass played behind the City defense for Karl Toko Ekambi to pursue eventually reached Maxwel Cornet, who, with Met City’s goalkeeper Ederson away from his net, executed a remarkable curling shot into the near post from about 20 yards.
The remainder of the first half unfolded precisely as Lyon and manager Rudi Garcia had envisioned. Manchester City maintained possession largely yet struggled to carve out many clear chances, while Pep Guardiola’s side appeared vulnerable on the counter.
After the interval, the match began to open up, and following an attacking substitution by Guardiola, City started creating opportunities at will.
As pressure mounted, some deft footwork by England international Raheem Sterling freed him to set up de Bruyne for a finish.
It seemed there would only be one victor. However, Lyon’s own super-sub Dembélé had other ideas, capitalizing on a through ball near halfway and slotting it under Ederson. Following a tense video assistant referee check, after a few anxious moments, the goal was awarded.
Although Metropolis was at a disadvantage, it generated greater chances, and one of the finest fell to Sterling. With some clever footwork and a cross from Gabriel Jesus, Sterling found himself with a clear shot just 5 yards from the goal, yet he sent the ball soaring over the bar.
This miss proved costly. Just 59 seconds later, Lyon found the net again, with Dembélé capitalizing on a weak save from Ederson, sending the French side into the semifinals for the first time in nearly a decade.
This outcome means that during Guardiola’s tenure at the club, Manchester Metropolis has yet to progress past the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Despite believing his team performed well for most of the match, Guardiola expressed disappointment over Manchester Metropolis’s inability to play error-free in the Champions League.
“One day we will overcome this quarterfinal barrier,” he told BT Sport post-match. “Except for the first 25 minutes when we struggled to effectively exploit space, the players exhibited freedom in their play.”
“Moreover, the last quarter-hour of the first half was encouraging. The second half was acceptable; I felt we were superior, but in this competition, perfection is essential in a single match, and we fell short.”
The 2019-20 Champions League semifinals will feature two teams from France and two from Germany vying for a place in the final; a first since 2012-13 where only two different nations are represented at this level.
