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Moussa Dembele struck either side of Raheem Sterling\u2019s late glaring miss as Lyon stunned Manchester City to reach the Champions Legaue semi-finals with a 3-1 win in Lisbon<\/p>\nMoussa Dembele struck either side of Raheem Sterling\u2019s late glaring miss as Lyon stunned Manchester City to reach the Champions Legaue semi-finals with a 3-1 win in Lisbon<\/p>\n
City had hauled themselves back into the game after Maxwel Cornet\u2019s opener with Kevin De Bruyne\u2019s 69th-minute equalizer but former Celtic striker Dembele then came off the bench to turn the tie dramatically.<\/p>\n
Dembele first broke from halfway to slot home and then, moments after Sterling\u2019s miss, he made victory certain after a spill by Ederson.<\/p>\n
Sterling, who had been one of City\u2019s better players, will certainly not want to relive the moment he could have leveled the game after 86 minutes.<\/p>\n
The England forward had the goal at his mercy but remarkably blazed over in the heat of the moment.<\/p>\n
City were then fully punished by Dembele and the wait for them, and their manager Pep Guardiola, goes on.<\/p>\n
City had hoped the tournament\u2019s new streamlined format would work in their favor but they reckoned without the determination of Lyon, who finished seventh in the curtailed Ligue 1 season.<\/p>\n
Again Guardiola made a surprise in his selection for a key tie, bringing in Eric Garcia for Phil Foden.<\/p>\n
While the intention was to add strength, deploying the 19-year-old in a three-man back line with Fernandinho and Aymeric Laporte did not work.<\/p>\n
City looked disjointed and, with Ilkay Gundogan and Rodri deep in midfield, there was a lack of attacking impetus.<\/p>\n
In Sterling, De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus, they still boasted a potent forward trio but Lyon dealt with them well.<\/p>\n
City did have an early chance as Joao Cancelo played in Sterling but his cutback for Jesus was cleared by Fernando Marcal.<\/p>\n
Lyon looked to hit City on the counter and stretch their back three and the plan paid off in the 24th minute when Karl Toko Ekambi raced on to a Marcal pass.<\/p>\n
Garcia recovered to halt the charge but cleared only as a far as Cornet, who after scoring against City three times last season, stung them again by curling round a stranded Ederson.<\/p>\n
City at least responded positively and kept Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes busy for the remainder of the first half.<\/p>\n
Lopes had to push away a drilled cross from Cancelo and smother Jesus\u2019 attempt on the rebound. He also saved an albeit weak first-time shot from Rodri and then denied Sterling from close range.<\/p>\n
City began to look labored in the early stages of the second half but then De Bruyne took it upon himself to try to retrieve the situation.<\/p>\n
The Belgian first tested Lopes with a 25-yard free-kick just before the hour and then curled another set-piece over before having a driving run halted on the edge of the area.<\/p>\n
Ederson kept City\u2019s hopes alive by keeping out another long-range Marcal shot and they finally broke the French side\u2019s rearguard after 69 minutes.<\/p>\n
Sterling did brilliantly to turn a defender on the left and his cutback for De Bruyne was perfect, allowing City\u2019s chief playmaker to sidefoot past Lopes.<\/p>\n
That appeared to energize City and Jesus forced a brilliant save from Lopes with a powerful shot on the turn that appeared destined for the top corner.<\/p>\n
Yet just as City began to sense their chance, they were caught out again.<\/p>\n
This time Dembele got behind the defense and finished well in the 79th minute. City waited in hope VAR might overturn the goal for a foul on halfway but the goal was given.<\/p>\n
Sterling looked like he would take the game to extra time but contrived to miss from Jesus\u2019 pass and Dembele then had the final say.<\/p>\n