Tonight will be a brain war as experienced coach Pep Guardiola and Rudi Garcia fight for the final ticket to the UEFA Champions League semi-final, OLALEKAN OKUSAN writes.
After 3 quarter-finals, all eyes would be back at the José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, tonight, as Manchester City and Olympique de Lyon are fighting for the last semi-final of the 2020 UEFA Champions League.
Although the adjustment will be played behind closed doors due to rules related to the new coronavirus pandemic, it seems attractive after Manchester City and Lyon overthrew the UCL Real Madrid and Juventus heavyweights, respectively, in the final round.
Pep Guardiola’s team reserved their position in the quarter-finals thanks to a 4-2 aggregate victory over the Spanish giants, while Lyon missed the Old Lady with the aim of qualifying for the eighth round.
The road to this level is desirable for both teams, with Man City comfortably qualifying as the undefeous winner of Group C, which followed Real Madrid’s impressive 4–2 defeat in the 16-year circular. Lyon, on the other hand, thanked an undefeating house record thanks to the position of beating in Group G with only 8 points.
However, Guardiola was quick to stress his respect for a Lyon team that took four City issues at last season’s organisation level and temporarily advanced the ball as long as any team in the competition.
“If we’re going to win the Champions League? All groups in the same way. Why would we be others to make sure we win?
“The Lyon is there too. Last season we lost, then we tied. We couldn’t beat them, that’s the reality.
“Rudi Garcia his team very well. I know the qualities of this technician, who has trained in several countries,” Guardiola said.
Despite this warning, Guardiola’s Manchester City is known for its aggressiveness with or without the ball and we have noticed it a lot in the way they have defeated the Real with their own taste as always a fast-paced, high-pressure model, combined with very good individual screens.
The Ligue 1 team gave Man City two incredibly complicated games in the 2018/19 Champions League campaign, winning one and attracting the other while the organizations faced others at the competitive organization level.
Although Lyon did not do well in the French Ligue 1 this season and finished out the four most sensitive. However, his Fortune in the Champions League was the opposite.
In a tight organization that included Red Bull Leipzig, Benfica and Zenit St Petersburg, Lyon had to go back 2-0 at home against Leipzig in the last organization match to draw 2-2 and take the qualifying point.