Manchester City 1-3 Lyon
After all the efforts and prestige of knocking record 13-time winners Real Madrid out of the Champions League, Manchester City would have been affronted at the thought of losing to the seventh-best team in France (certainly they were only seventh when Ligue 1 was abandoned due to COVID-19).
Yet that is exactly what has happened as the world’s richest club has come unstuck and underachieved once again in world football’s biggest club competition.
Pep Guardiola’s teams have been a joy to watch over the years and his 2011 Barcelona vintage remains the best side I have witnessed in my lifetime at any level of football.
But since that Wembley triumph, Guardiola has managed clubs and taken them backwards in Europe.
In 2013, he took over at reigning champions Bayern Munich and never progressed beyond the semi-final.
In 2016, he moved to City (who had just reached the last four) and they have never been back since.
There’s no doubting the side he has expensively assembled at the Etihad remains a class act, able to beat anyone on their day.
However, the fact remains that without a suitable replacement for the injured Sergio Aguero (the best player in the English Premier League over the past nine years) and that failing to replace skipper Vincent Kompany last summer – the best defender in Europe for much of the past decade – were follies no top manager should allow to happen.
It has cost City at home and abroad in 2019-20.
What Guardiola does next could define whether he is remembered in the ‘excellent’ or the ‘elite’ managerial hall of fame.
The world’s first billion-dollar football club simply can’t shed the underachievers tag in Europe.
Highlights of the game
It would be all too easy to further criticise Guardiola and free-spending City but that would be harsh.
This clash in the Estádio José Alvalade was a perfect example of how football can be unforgiving when, on another day, they could easily have won the tie.
It should also be noted that this was only their second loss in 18 Champions League games (won 13, drawn three).
Yet that will not hide the fact they have been again found wanting when it matters in this competition as all the Champions League 2020 highlights were provided by Lyon.
Guardiola reshuffled his pack from last time out with young wantaway centre-back Eric Garcia replacing attacking midfielder Phil Foden, so captain Fernandinho moved from the back into midfield.
Lyon, meanwhile, were unchanged from the side which knocked out Juventus so that meant Houssem Aouar had recovered from his ankle knock with Karl Toko Ekambi was again preferred to Moussa Dembele up front.
Before a ball has even been kicked, there had already been drama over the choice of referee but Danny Makkelie was consistency personified.
So was Maxwel Cornet who expertly curled home the opener from around 20 yards midway through the first half.
From the outset, Lyon, who knocked out Juventus in the last 16 despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s best efforts, had been disciplined. They needed to stay that way as City, despite being below par, applied more and more pressure after the break.
Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes at times seemed to be having a personal duel with Kevin de Bruyne, but the Belgian could not be denied a deserved equaliser as he side-footed home a pullback from Raheem Sterling.
With just over 20 minutes remaining at that point, the smart money would have been on City.
But since failing to replace Kompany, and without the composed yet clinical astuteness of Aguero, they are not the same team.
Lopes kept out Gabriel Jesus and then could only watch as the Brazilian scuffed a fine opportunity before Lyon countered clinically.
Dembele had only been on the pitch a short time when he raced clear of a static defence and slotted the ball under Ederson.
Then, after Lopes kept out De Bruyne again and Sterling skied the ball high after good work from Jesus, Dembele struck again.
Aouar played him through and while the initial shot was tame, Ederson could only parry the ball and Dembele tucked in the rebound.
Lyon, massive underdogs against both Juventus and City, are into the semi-finals.
Guardiola now needs to respond (recruitment in key areas is vital) to make sure his side can be top dogs.
Key statistics
Cornet now has four goals against City in the Champions League – the joint highest tally since Guardiola’s arrival (level with Lionel Messi).
Dembele has scored four goals in three appearances versus City in the Champions League, with both of his braces in the competition coming against them.
Lyon are unbeaten in their 48 Champions League games when they led at half-time (won 40, drawn eight).
Sterling has had a hand in eight goals in his last eight Champions League knockout appearances (five goals, three assists).
De Bruyne has been directly involved in more goals in all competitions this season than any other Premier League player (38 – 16 goals, 22 assists).
This is the first time in the past decade that Lyon have won in Lisbon following two defeats to Benfica.
This was the third Champions League meeting between City and Lyon who are undefeated (won two, drawn one).
Having failed to win any of their first six Champions League games against English sides, Lyon remain unbeaten in their last four against such opposition (won three, drawn two).
What’s next?
The season is over for Manchester City and, while it has still brought a modicum of success with a League Cup and a Community Shield to their name, that will be of little consolation to a club with such resources.
The SBOBET Champions League 2020 betting odds are open for Lyon v Bayern Munich on Wednesday night (August 19).
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