CNN
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Lyon surprised Manchester Metropolis on Saturday to qualify for the semifinals of the Champions League, profitable 3-1.
The French facet made the right begin, stifling Manchester Metropolis’s attacking play and finally taking the lead after 24 minutes because of Maxwel Cornet’s creative end from simply outdoors the field.
Within the second half, the English facet cranked up the stress, and the stress finally instructed, as Kevin de Bruyne coolly slotted residence to stage the rating earlier than substitute Moussa Dembélé scored two targets to see Lyon by way of.
Lyon will face Bayern Munich within the semifinal on Wednesday, after the German facet superior to the semifinals on Friday, dispatching Barcelona 8-2.
For the first time since 1990/91, and for the primary time within the Champions League period, the semifinal stage is not going to characteristic any crew from England, Spain or Italy. For the primary time in Champions League historical past, it’ll characteristic two groups representing France.
Belgian midfielder de Bruyne stated that following one other heartbreaking exit from the competitors, it’s “not ok.”
“It’s undoubtedly the identical stuff. I feel the primary half wasn’t ok,” he instructed BT Sport after the sport. “I feel we all know that.
“We began gradual, we had not many choices. I feel second half, we performed very well. We got here again 1-1, had a few possibilities after which clearly the 2-1, after which the 3-1 ends the sport. It’s a disgrace for us to go in that means.
“The sport was open however they didn’t actually create besides the 2 objective possibilities. Yeah, we have to study. It’s not ok.”
With its star gamers and an enormous title supervisor, Manchester Metropolis had been overwhelmingly favored to beat Lyon.
However the French facet had confirmed its resilience in its second leg towards Juventus within the earlier spherical, managing to edge previous Cristiano Ronaldo and firm regardless of having nearly 5 months with out soccer.
And its sturdiness was put to the check from kickoff. Manchester Metropolis dominated possession from the primary whistle, however did not create any golden alternatives.
And finally Lyon’s capability to counterattack produced the sport’s first objective. A ball performed behind the Metropolis defence for Karl Toko Ekambi to run on to finally fell to Maxwel Cornet and, with Metropolis keeper Ederson out of his objective, Cornet threaded an impressive curling shot into the close to publish from about 20 yards.
The remainder of the primary half performed out simply as Lyon and supervisor Rudi Garcia would have deliberate. Manchester Metropolis dominated possession with out creating too many clear-cut possibilities whereas Pep Guardiola’s crew appeared inclined on the break.
After the half-time break, the sport opened up and following an attacking substitution by Guardiola, Metropolis started to create possibilities at will.
And finally the stress instructed, as some good footwork by England worldwide Raheem Sterling freed him as much as lay it again for de Bruyne to complete.
It appeared like there would solely be one winner. Nonetheless, Lyon’s personal super-sub Dembélé thought otherwise, latching on to a by way of ball close to half-way and ending beneath Ederson. A nervy video assistant referee test adopted however after a couple of minutes of ready, the objective was given.
Though Metropolis was behind, it created the higher possibilities and the perfect of which fell to Sterling. Some intelligent dribbling and a cross from Gabriel Jesus left Sterling with an open objective from simply 5 yards out, however he despatched ball skyward and over the objective.
And the miss proved pricey. Simply 59 seconds later, Lyon had scored once more, Dembélé pouncing on a poor save from Ederson to ship the French membership into the ultimate 4 for the primary time in practically 10 years.
The consequence signifies that throughout Guardiola’s time on the membership, Manchester Metropolis has did not make it previous the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League.
Regardless of pondering that his facet performed nicely for almost all of the sport, Guardiola lamented Manchester Metropolis’s incapability to play with out errors within the Champions League.
“Sooner or later we are going to break this hole of the quarterfinals,” he instructed BT Sport after the sport. “Besides the primary 25 minutes the place we struggled to seek out out areas to assault them extra fluidly, the gamers, they play free.”
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“And the final quarter-hour of the primary half was good. The second half was OK, we had been there. I had the sensation we had been higher, however you need to be good on this competitors in a single sport and we weren’t.”
The 2019-20 Champions League semifinals will see two French groups and two German groups compete for a spot within the remaining; the primary time since 2012-13 that there are simply two completely different nations represented at this stage.
