Will Man City avoid a Real hangover vs Lyon?

Visits: 9

It was perhaps the greatest two legs of football Manchester City have played under Pep Guardiola. There were the quirky tactics – of course – but it all came together with a combination of quality, skill and commitment to the plan, from the brilliant win in the Bernabeu to completing the job in an empty Etihad.

City’s triumph over Real Madrid in the last-16 of this year’s Champions League will be an historic benchmark for the club as they build their standing at Europe’s top table.

The fact they sealed the deal so impressively in the second leg shortly after their ban from next season’s competition had been overturned made it all the sweeter.

Their reward is a quarter-final with Lyon in Lisbon and then, should they make the semi-finals, a blockbuster showdown with one of Pep Guardiola’s former sides, either Barcelona or Bayern Munich.

GRAPHIC

After conquering his old rivals Real in the last-16, the date with destiny against his former employers in the final four adds to what is becoming a wonderfully layered story for City in this Champions League campaign.

Sterling has now scored six goals in eight Champions League games this season
Image: Sterling has now scored six goals in eight Champions League games this season

They are favourites to lift the trophy for the first time in their history on August 23 and for a team which just a couple of months ago looked set to be banned from next year’s competition – and for a manager often harshly maligned for his underachievement in the Champions League since the heady days of his time at Barcelona – it feels like an opportunity to dream.

GRAPHIC
Image: Manchester City’s progress in the Champions League since 2011/12

But City supporters know all too well that it is foolish to take anything for granted in this competition. “It is one step,” said Guardiola after handing Zinedine Zidane his first Champions League knockout defeat as Real Madrid boss. “If we think that is enough we will show how small we are.”

More on this story

Pep Guardiola's Man City are favourites for the Champions League crown
Image: Pep Guardiola has warned his City side they still have a long way to go

Yes, they will be huge favourites to see off a Lyon side who were seventh in Ligue 1 when the French season was curtailed, a Lyon side humbled 5-0 by PSG in the French Cup semi-finals before losing on penalties to the same opposition in the French League Cup two weeks ago, and a Lyon side making their first appearance at this stage of the Champions League in a decade.

GRAPHIC

A look back at City’s past three seasons in the Champions League, though, urges caution.

In 2016/17 City, after what seemed a landmark win over Barcelona in the group stage, threw caution – and defensive solidity – to the wind in the last-16 and blew a two-goal advantage over Monaco, achieved from a chaotic 5-3 win at the Etihad, with a 3-1 loss in the principality.

GRAPHIC

The following year they were caught cold by a 30-minute blitz at Anfield in the first leg of the quarter-finals by a Liverpool team who ultimately finished 25 points behind them in the Premier League.

Fernando Llorente scores for Tottenham against Manchester City in the Champions League
Image: Fernando Llorente scores for Tottenham against Manchester City in the Champions League

Tottenham ended up 27 points adrift of City’s title-winners in the table in 2018/19, but also left Guardiola’s men wondering ‘what if’ at the quarter-final stage a year later after thrilling and VAR-affected ties.

The worry this season will be men with Manchester United connections past and potentially future could upset the ideal scenario playing out for City.

Lyon captain Memphis Depay demonstrated the creativity, skill and sheer boldness which originally attracted United to him with his Panenka penalty in their last-16 second leg with Juventus – before the penalty he gave away at the other end, which complicated matters for the French side, delivered a reminder of the frustrations he also brings to the table.

Deapy
Image: Memphis Depay will be a real threat on Saturday night

With six goals in six successive Champions League appearances, though, his talent will be a threat and so will the goal-scoring ability of former Celtic star Moussa Dembele, who has been linked with an Old Trafford switch of his own.

Top scorer Dembele was benched for last week’s tie with Juventus – and made his displeasure plain in the warm-up – before replacing Depay in the second half but Lyon are likely to need both stars firing if they are to capitalise on any chances which come their way in the one-off tie with City.

At the other end of the pitch, Rafael is another former United player to contend with, while Jason Denayer will have added motivation of his own.

The City academy graduate had a string of loan spells and no first-team City appearances to show for his first four years as a senior pro but has since established himself as first-choice at centre-back in Lyon’s backline.

And on the touchline, Lyon will be marshalled by a coach who knows how to win. Rudi Garcia led Lille to the Ligue 1-French Cup double in 2010/11, before the days of PSG’s dominance, and took Marseille to the Europa League final in 2018.

On paper, City have the advantages but in reality this Lyon side have the tools to bring City back down to earth with a bump after the highs of that win over Real Madrid. Guardiola’s side cannot afford any complacency.

City without Aguero

Image: Aguero picked up a knee injury in June

Sergio Aguero will not be involved for City in Lisbon on Saturday. The club’s leading scorer has been out since undergoing knee surgery in June, but had not been ruled out of the latter stages of the European tournament.

However, the striker is still not ready for action.

Manager Pep Guardiola said at a press conference: “He is still in Barcelona. I think he should come here and do a test. He is still in Barcelona making a recovery.”

Otherwise Guardiola feels his side are ready for action.

City reached the reformatted last-eight tournament by completing victory over Real Madrid in the last-16 stage last week.

Guardiola said: “Anything can happen, it is a knockout game, but we are ready. The pressure will be there, but it will be for all the other teams. We are prepared.”

Match stats

  • Manchester City have reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League for a fourth time in the last five seasons (the only exception being 2016-17); however, they have only progressed from one of their previous three quarter-final appearances, knocking out PSG in 2015-16.
  • Should Manchester City progress, there will be an English representative in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League for a third consecutive season, the longest such run since between 2003-04 – 2008-09 (six successive campaigns).
  • Manchester City have lost just one of their last 17 UEFA Champions League games (W13 D3), however that defeat did come in last season’s quarter finals against Tottenham (P9 W7 D2 L0 since).
  • Since progressing from his first seven UEFA Champions League quarter-finals – with Barcelona and FC Bayern München – Pep Guardiola has been eliminated in each of his two appearances at this stage of the competition with Man City (17-18 & 18-19). The Spaniard will be aiming to reach his eighth semi-final which would be a joint record for a manager in the competition alongside José Mourinho.
  • Last time out against Real Madrid, Raheem Sterling scored his 20th UEFA Champions League goal for Man City, becoming just the sixth Englishman to reach this tally in the competition. He has never ended on the losing side in a Champions League game when he has scored (W14 D2) – only six players have scored in more games without losing any of them in the competition’s history (Patrick Kluivert holding the record – P25 W23 D2 L0 in games scored in).

Read More Go To Source