Rudi Garcia’s team wins at Alvalade and flies to the semifinals, where they will face Bayern Munich. Lyon’s first half of great character who, on 24 ‘, took the lead with Cornet. Halfway through the second half the City insists and finds the same with De Bruyne, but in the final Dembelé enters and signs a brace. Guardiola eliminated in the quarterfinals for the third year in a row
MANCHESTER CITY-LIONE 1-3 (highlights)
24 ‘Cornet (L), 69’ De Bruyne (MC), 79 ‘, 87’ Dembelé (L)
This Champions never ceases to amaze and delivers another outsider to the semifinals. Garcia’s Lyon beat Manchester City 3-1 with merit and now await Bayern Munich in a re-edition of the semifinal already seen in the 2009-10 edition, that of the Nerazzurri treble. Instead, Guardiola goes home, ousted for the third consecutive season in the quarters and after 90 minutes of unprecedented play, too slow and almost never organized with the right head to put his opponents under. The cover of the evening is taken by Dembelé, on the field in the last quarter of an hour and author of the decisive double, but it is the whole French team that takes the applause for a choral and character test that is worth the qualification. And with the OL there are two transalpine formations in the semifinals, as has not happened for 27 years.
De Bruyne responds to Cornet, then comes Dembelé’s double
Guardiola surprisingly chooses 2001 Eric Garcia – at the 2nd absolute presence in the Champions League – in the center of the 3-man defense, with Rodri low pivot in the midfield and forward the pair Gabriel Jesus-Sterling. Rudi Garcia, on the other hand, confirms the same 11 who took the field against Juve, with Depay partner Ekambi forward. The City starts well and immediately becomes dangerous on a combination between Cancelo and Sterling that leads the Englishman to the central assist for his teammate. Decisive is Marçal’s sliding intervention to break the plot. Just the defender realizes the first shot on goal of the game, with a violent blow from outside the area that Ederson saves without difficulty. Lyon prepared it very well and with pressure and courage prevented them Citizens to set the usual maneuver. High defense and vertical pits to hit. And that’s exactly how the French took the lead in the 24th minute. Ekambi sprints into a regular position on a forward throw from Marçal, but controls badly and favors Eric Garcia’s recovery in a sliding slide. On the loose ball, however, there is Cornet who, taking advantage of Ederson’s position away from the posts, goes with the left-handed and finds the net (the fourth in three games against City). Guardiola’s boys react with the strength of their nerves and become threatening on a cross in the middle, on which Lopes only manages to touch at first and then becomes extraordinary by blocking Gundogan’s attempt. At the end of the first half, the chance for a draw happens on Rodri’s right, but his shot is central and the goalkeeper blocks in two halves.
City starts the recovery on the attack, but an extra push is needed to unhinge the OL defense and so Guardiola inserts Mahrez in place of Fernandinho, moving to 4-3-3. The attempts, however, always arrive on set piece: De Bruyne tries unsuccessfully for the third time to surprise Lopes, then at the fourth aims at his post and misses the intersection by about half a meter. The Belgian insists and his becomes a monologue against Lyon until, in the 69th minute, he puts in the 1-1 goal. Sterling is very good in the movement on the left with which the space for the central pass is created, then De Bruyne does the rest with a right placed that gives no escape to the goalkeeper. THE Citizens they galvanize and immediately try to complete the comeback, but this time Lopes dives and sends Gabriel Jesus’ shot at the near post into a corner. Still the Brazilian who tries shortly after, but his split shot flies over the crossbar. However, the British end up unbalanced and give a prairie to the newly entered Dembelé who, in front of the goalkeeper, finds the 2-1 goal. Guardiola and his team protest for a fortuitous contact of the attacker on Laporte at the beginning of the action, but also the Var validates. The City is projecting everything forward in search of a goal that would be worth the extra time, but Sterling – with an empty net – sends sensationally high. Lyon found even more space on the counterattack and closed it three minutes from time. Ederson does not hold Aouar’s right foot and on the rebound Dembelé is still quick to score the 3-1 and the personal double. It is the final act that marks another bitter elimination for Guardiola, while the boys of Garcia celebrate and do not stop dreaming.
TABLES
MANCHESTER CITY (3-1-4-2): Ederson; Fernandinho (56 ‘Mahrez), Eric Garcia, Laporte; Rodri (84 ‘David Silva); Walker, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Cancelo; Gabriel Jesus, Sterling. All. Guardiola
LYON (3-5-2): Lopes; Denayer, Marcelo, Marçal; Dubois (74 ‘Tete), Caqueret, Guimaraes (70’ Thiago Mendes), Aouar, Cornet; Ekambi (87 ‘Reine-Adelaide), Depay (75’ Dembelé). All. Garcia
Ammonites: Dubois (L), Fernandinho (MC), Marcelo (L)
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