LISBON (Reuters) – Manchester City, favourite before the Olympique de Lyon tournament, with a 3-1 victory on Saturday to advance to the Champions League semi-finals, where they will face Bayern Munich.
This is the first time that two French ensembles will face another in the semi-finals of the festival with Paris St Germain opposed to RB Leipzig in the other French-German tie in the quarter-finals.
The result is also that, for the first time since 1991, no team from England, Spain or Italy will compete in the last 4 main competitions between clubs in Europe.
But for City and their manager Pep Guardiola, this is the 3rd consecutive season that the team is leaving for the Champions League quarter-finals and remaining in the quarter-finals under the direction of their Spanish coach.
“Different year, the same. I think the first part is not smart enough, I think we know that, we started slowly, we didn’t have many options, however, the part of the moment we played it very well. Array… it’s a disgrace to us.” Get out of this way, ” said Kevin De Bruyne, inconsolable.
“We have to learn. He’s not smart enough, and that’s it,” he added.
Guardiola’s strategies have propelled City to two Premier League titles, but it remains a Champions League trophy since their 2011 win over Barcelona.
The Spaniard’s tactical resolve to play with an additional defender, in a three-man central defender, made paintings and left City in search of the game in the middle of the moment.
There has been a replacement in the City squad of the team that beat Real Madrid in the last 16 previous games this month, with offensive midfielder Phil Foden who was left out of the 19-year defence Eric Garcia.
City got off to a bad start, although two times Raheem Sterling placed the Lyon defender, for having no characteristics in the penalty area.
Lyon was at the front and the City when he came forward in the 24th minute.
A ball on the most sensible discovered Karl Toko Ekambi and Garcia interrupted his advance, the ball fell on Maxwel Cornet who, noticing that Ederson was well off his line, showed a wonderful awareness and skill, just outside the area, to release a low. fired at the close by a scrapyard pole.
It is Cornet’s fourth purpose in three matches against City and Guardiola’s team had much to do to avoid some other sadness in the Champions League.
The City drew thanks to a Look finish by De Bruyne in the 69th minute after Sterling’s clever paintings and advanced in search of the winner to get stuck at half-time.
Dembélé broke loose and Ederson’s extended leg may not save you his shot out of the net when Lyon led 2-1 to 79. City argued that there had been a foul on Aymeric Laporte in the preparation, but the VAR reviewed the incident and allowed the purpose to remain.
City had a chance of gold to draw, but Sterling threw a Pass of Gabriel Jesus from a nearby diversity with the purpose at his mercy.
Lyon responded to this failure by taking advantage of the chaos in the City defense with Ederson pushing a satin shot from Houssem Aouar and former Celtic Dembele striker jumping for his moment of victory to finish a remarkable victory for Lyon.
Rudi García’s team finished alone in seventh place in the short season of the French championship. However, after a long hae in the action, they returned to Juventus and City to set up a clash with a Bayern team at the top after crushing Barcelona 8-2 in the quarter-finals.
Reports through Simon Evans, additional reports through Philip O’Connor; Edited by Christian Radnedge
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