Man City 1-3 Lyon: Lyon stun Man City in Champions League - BBC Sport
Manchester City's Champions League dream is over for another year as Lyon stun Pep Guardiola's side 3-1 to reach the semi-finals.
Last updated on .From the section European Football

Manchester City's Champions League ambitions are in ruins once more after Lyon shocked Pep Guardiola's side in the quarter-final in Lisbon.

City started as firm favourites but came out second best against a fiercely determined Lyon in a game that swung on controversy and uncharacteristic errors in the closing stages.

Lyon went ahead in the 24th minute with Maxwel Cornet's smart finish but City, lifeless as Guardiola chose to play a three-man central defence, looked to have been revived by Kevin de Bruyne's precise strike from Raheem Sterling's pass after 69 minutes.

Former Celtic striker Moussa Dembele, on as a substitute, restored Lyon's lead in contentious circumstances 11 minutes from time, the video assistant referee ignoring what appeared to be an obvious foul by the goalscorer before he ran on to beat Ederson.

City pressed for the equaliser but Sterling was guilty of an atrocious miss, somehow sending his finish over the top of an open goal from Gabriel Jesus' pass.

It proved to be hugely expensive as seconds later Lyon set up a semi-final meeting with Bayern Munich when Dembele scored his second after Ederson fumbled a shot from Houssem Aouar's routine shot.
• None Analysis: How Guardiola messed up his big Champions League chance

Guardiola has rightly been showered in plaudits for the wonderful football and success he has brought to Manchester City - but his biggest target remains elusive and this was a miserable night for the manager.

Guardiola, who has been accused of over-thinking his approach in the Champions League before, adopted a three-man central defensive system and chose to leave many of City's creators and manipulators on the bench.

Lyon deserved respect after eliminating Juventus but this was a ploy that took it too far and resulted in a stuttering City lacking urgency and creativity.

He eventually introduced Riyad Mahrez after the break to some effect but Lyon were offered hope and encouragement by Guardiola's approach and showed magnificent grit and resilience to secure the win.

City will rightly claim an injustice over the VAR decision that did not penalise what appeared to be a foul on Aymeric Laporte by Dembele but the team defending for the second goal was horrific, with every City player bar keeper Ederson in the Lyon half when the goal was created when the game was finely balanced at 1-1.

City and Guardiola have suffered Champions League disappointment before but this may hurt more than any other - and make no mistake, the much-feted Catalan must take his full share of responsibility for a flawed game plan.

Lyon's celebrations were wild at the final whistle - and who can blame them after a magnificent victory against many experts' favourites after previously knocking out Juventus despite another stellar contribution from Cristiano Ronaldo?

The French side dug deep, rode their luck at the right times, especially with Sterling's ghastly miss, and when offered the opportunity put City away.

Dembele showed the poacher's instinct that made him so highly prized at Celtic and has made him a success in France to score the two goals that saw off City.

Bayern Munich will be hot favourites after their astonishing 8-2 demolition of Barcelona but this revamped knockout format has already produced its share of surprises and Lyon have shown they must not be written off.

'We're not getting carried away' - reaction

Goalscorer Moussa Dembele speaking to RMC Sport: "We are still in it, which means we have a great team.

"We are taking it game by game, not getting carried away. We will try to be ready for Bayern."
• None Lyon's Rudi Garcia is the first French manager to guide a French team to the Champions League semi-finals since 2009-10 (Claude Puel with Lyon).
• None Since progressing from his first seven Champions League quarter-finals as a manager with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola has been eliminated in each of his three with City.
• None The Champions League semi-finals will see two French teams (PSG, Lyon) and two German teams (RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich). It is the first time since 2012-13 that there are just two different nations at the semi-final stage.
• None City's Kevin de Bruyne has been directly involved in more goals in 2019-20 than any other Premier League player (38 - 16 goals, 22 assists).
• None Lyon's Maxwel Cornet and Moussa Dembele have scored four Champions League goals against City, a joint high with Lionel Messi.
• None Raheem Sterling made his 50th Champions League appearance tonight, aged 25 years and 251 days. The only Englishman to reach this milestone at a younger age was Wayne Rooney in 2010 (24 years, 115 days).
• None Sterling provided his 11th assist for Manchester City in the Champions League - the joint-most for the club alongside De Bruyne.
• None Fernandinho made his 58th appearance in the Champions League for Man City - the most of any City player in the competition.
• None Attempt blocked. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by David Silva.
• None Attempt missed. Kyle Walker (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross following a corner.
• None Attempt saved. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is saved in the top centre of the goal.
• None Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Goal! Manchester City 1, Lyon 3. Moussa Dembele (Lyon) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal.
• None Attempt saved. Houssem Aouar (Lyon) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jeff Reine-Adélaïde.
• None Attempt missed. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from very close range is too high. Assisted by Gabriel Jesus. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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