CNN
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Lyon qualified for the Champions League semi-finals after beating Manchester City 3-1 on Saturday.
The French side started brightly, stifling Manchester City’s attacking play and eventually took the lead after 24 minutes thanks to Maxwell Cornet’s inventive finish from just outside the box.
In the second half, the English side piled up the pressure, and the pressure eventually told, as Kevin De Bruyne coolly slotted home to level the score, before substitute Moussa Dembele made it two to see off Lyon. scored a goal
Lyon will face Bayern Munich in the semi-finals on Wednesday after the German side beat Barcelona 8-2 to reach the semi-finals on Friday.
for the First Since 1990/91, and for the first time in the Champions League era, the semi-final stage will not feature a team from England, Spain or Italy. For the first time in Champions League history, it will feature two teams representing France.
Belgian midfielder De Bruyne said it was “not good enough” after another heartbreaking exit from the competition.
“It’s definitely the same stuff. I think the first half was not good enough,” he told BT Sport after the game. “I think we know that.
“We started slow, we didn’t have many options. I think in the second half, we played really well. We came back 1-1, had a few chances and then obviously 2-1, and then 3-1. It is a shame for us to go like this.
“The game was open but they didn’t really create anything apart from the two goal chances. Yes, we need to learn. It’s not good enough. ”
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With their star players and a big name manager, Manchester City were heavily favored to beat Lyon.
But the French side showed their resilience in their second leg against Juventus in the previous round, managing to get past Cristiano Ronaldo and co despite being without football for almost five months.
And its durability was tested from kickoff. Manchester City dominated from the first whistle, but failed to create any golden chances.
And finally Lyon’s ability to counter attack led to the first goal of the game. A ball played in behind the City defense for Carl Toko Ekambi eventually fell to Maxwell Cornet and, with City keeper Ederson out of his goal, Cornet threaded a superb curling shot at the near post from about 20 yards.
The rest of the first half played out much as Lyon and manager Rudy Garcia would have planned. Manchester City dominated possession without creating many clear-cut chances while Pep Guardiola’s side looked susceptible on the break.
After the half-time break, the game opened up and after aggressive substitutions by Guardiola, City began to create chances at will.
And finally the pressure told, as some good footwork by England international Raheem Sterling freed him to lay back for De Bruyne to finish.
It looked like there would only be one winner. However, Lyon’s own super-sub Dembele thought differently, latching onto a through ball near the halfway mark and finishing under Ederson. A nervous video assistant referee was checked but after a few minutes of waiting, the goal was awarded.
Although City were behind, they created the better chances and the best of which went to Sterling. Some clever dribbling and a cross from Gabriel Jesus left Sterling with an open goal from just five yards out, but he sent the ball skyward and over the bar.
And the miss proved expensive. Just 59 seconds later, Lyon scored again, Dembele pouncing on a poor save from Ederson to send the French club into the final four for the first time in nearly 10 years.
The result means that during Guardiola’s time at the club, Manchester City have failed to get past the quarter-final stage of the Champions League.
Despite thinking his team played well for the majority of the game, Guardiola lamented Manchester City’s inability to go error-free in the Champions League.
“One day we will break this quarter-final gap,” he told BT Sport after the game. “Apart from the first 25 minutes where we struggled to find space to attack them more fluidly, the players, they play free.”
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“And the last 15 minutes of the first half were good. The second half was fine, we were there. I felt we were better, but you have to be perfect in a game in this competition and we weren’t. ”
2019-20 Champions League Semi-Finals Two French teams and two German teams will watch compete for a place in the final; It is the first time since 2012-13 that only two different countries have been represented at this stage.
