KA reunion with Pep: In the semi-finals of the Champions League, FC Bayern will not face the English top club Manchester City and its former coach Guardiola – but the courageous outsider Olympique Lyon. Manchester City surprisingly lost the last quarter-finals of the final tournament in Lisbon on Saturday evening with 1: 3 (0: 1) against the French club, about which Bayern should be warned. In the round of 16, Lyon had kicked Juventus Turin and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo out of the competition.
Maxwel Cornet (24th) and substitute Moussa Dembélé with two goals (79th and 87th) put the French on course for the semi-finals next Wednesday against Bayern, who had humiliated FC Barcelona 8-2 on Friday. City around national player Ilkay Gündogan increased the pressure massively in the second half, but the interim equalization of former Bundesliga professional Kevin De Bruyne (69th) was too little.
“You have to play perfectly in this competition,” said Guardiola. “It is what it is. One day we will make it to the semi-finals. ”De Bruyne said:“ It’s always very disappointing. We didn’t do it the way we have to. The coach had a plan, but we didn’t find that many options. We played a good game in the second half, but then we give Lyon two presents. “
Lyon with self-confidence after beating Juve
Guardiola’s team started with a lot of possession as usual, but Lyon was more dangerous in the beginning. The outsider played more courageously, more directly, more quickly. The defender Marçal, who moved up at a corner, tested City goalkeeper Ederson with a long-range shot (9th). The opening goal was preceded by a long, high pass from his own half. Karl Toko Ekambi claimed the ball against City defender Eric García, Cornet came to the shot and finished deliberately with the left.
The victory in the round of 16 against Turin gave his team a lot of self-confidence, Lyon coach Rudi Garcia had said in advance: “Of course that also makes us hungry to achieve more.” And City felt that.
The high-profile Manchester offensive around De Bruyne and England national player Raheem Sterling came in the first half hour to little significant action. At this point on Friday, Bayern had already led 4-1. Guardiola kept shouting instructions to the almost deserted Estádio José Alvalade. Shortly before the break, Rodri Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes (43.) checked.
Dembelé made everything clear with two hits
“There is always pressure here,” Guardiola had said before the game – after all, the title in the Champions League has top priority for the club owners from Abu Dhabi. “It’s the same question every year.” The Citizens had mastered the round of 16 against the great Real Madrid with two wins.
Guardiola varied the formation against Lyon a good ten minutes after the break. Riyad Mahrez came on for Fernandinho (56th), De Bruyne, who initially tested Lopes with a free kick (60th), increasingly moved to the position of playmaker. Lyon continued to fight self-sacrificingly, but initially hardly came to relief attacks.
The Citizens continued to create few opportunities, one of which was enough for De Bruyne to equalize. Dembélé then scored for Lyon surprisingly and from an offside position, but the goal withstood the review by the video assistant. Sterling missed a hundred percent chance to make it 2-2 (86th) a few minutes before the end, before Dembélé again made everything clear with his second goal.
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