Man City vs Lyon: Moussa Dembele double heaps Champions League misery on Blues - 5 things we learned
Man City 1-3 Lyon: Pep Guardiola suffered more misery in the competition that continues to evade the club
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Moussa Dembele’s double heaped more Champions League heartache on Manchester City as Lyon advanced to the semi-finals with a stunning 3-1 victory in Portugal.
Maxwel Cornet gave the French side the lead, capitalising on a loose ball after Karl Toko Ekambi’s run in behind, to beautifully curl inside the near post with Ederson helpless.
Kevin De Bruyne’s gorgeous pass found Raheem Sterling at the back post, only for Cornet’s block to save OL, before the England winger brilliantly found Rodri, whose shot was too soft to beat Anthony Lopes. The brilliant Belgian finally brought the sides level with a clean finish into the bottom right corner after Sterling’s fine work to keep the ball in and pick him out on the edge of the area.
The game hinged on a VAR decision though, allowing substitute Dembele's coolly taken goal to stand. And Lyon capitalised on a dreadful Sterling miss to stretch their lead thanks to Ederson’s clanger, allowing Dembele to break City hearts once more and book a semi-final date with Bayern Munich.
Here are five things we learned from the Estadio Jose Alvalade:
Pep overthinks a big Champions League game... again
It’s well-documented now that Pep Guardiola enjoys the game of chess before kick-off and he pulled a surprise again here by matching the French side with a back three.
Fernandinho dropped in on the right side, while Kevin De Bruyne pushed on to the right side of a front three. The immediate result? Rudi Garcia’s side now given a series of one-on-one challenges in a system they are far more accustomed to.
Kyle Walker playing on Karl Toko Ekambi for the opening goal suggested a lack of awareness or complete understanding of the tactical set-up in a pressurised situation.
City began to find the space towards the end of the first half, but by this point the script has changed and Lyon have a lead. The initial game plan evidently backfired.
City can’t cope with Max
Maxwel Cornet loves playing against Manchester City with the left wing-back breaking the deadlock for his fourth goal in three Champions League matches against Pep Guardiola’s side.
It was not just his stunning finish – guided wide of the near post before arcing back into the empty net – either, the Ivorian was able to occupy a daring position high up the pitch.
His role pushed Kyle Walker back and gave Lyon a tremendous option to build attacks down the left flank. Despite being a nuisance for City going forward, Cornet incredibly recovered well, making a crucial block to deny Sterling an equaliser as the first half finished.
OL DNA alive again
It will be music to the ears of Jean-Michel Aulas to hear the names of this OL side involved in a big-time Champions League knock-out game.
Even more so is the way they applied themselves, their esteemed academy is rich in talent and now able to see the pathway to the pinnacle of European football.
Max Caqueret and Houssam Aouar offered a tenacious edge blended with composure on the ball in Rudi Garcia’s midfield.
While a smattering of youth graced the bench, including the extraordinarily talented Rayan Cherki, proving the future is bright in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
De Bruyne class shines bright on biggest stage again
Kevin De Bruyne’s talent has never been in question, but the way he now grasps games with authority shows how fortunate City are to have a player of his ilk with a mentality to match his ability.
With City predictably finding themselves in trouble, De Bruyne took control, marshalling the midfield and orchestrating attacks with both drive and his wand-like right boot.
The desire, too, is there, when he was able to sniff the danger as Sterling tip-toed on the touchline before working space, safe in the knowledge the ball would come. It did and he made no mistake converting into the corner. While City have many players with comparable talent, it is the dearth of those able to match his attitude which sees them struggle to claw their way out of this high-pressured situations.
VAR hates City
City fans will bemoan the curse of VAR, which reared its head again here in the biggest moment of their season.
While not as cruel as the decision to deny them against Spurs, this time there was a predictability to the outcome - despite a fair claim that Moussa Dembele had unintentionally committed a foul in the build-up.
While Dembele wriggled free, the offside flag remained down, allowing him to race clear and ensure Lyon regained the lead.
Guardiola looked resigned to his fate, another big call going against his side, ensuring the Champions League remains cruelly elusive.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments