Manchester City crash out at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League once again

Manchester City – The masters of their own downfall. That’s how you can sum up their defeat to Lyon last night.

Take nothing away from their opponents, they put up a solid and excellent display, but you cannot ignore the mistakes made by the Premier League side. Near enough everything they did went wrong from the start.

City knew the attacking threat their French counterparts could (and would) pose, so it was interesting to see that Pep Guardiola opted for a 3-5-2 formation. A system which saw Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker as wing-backs, Raheem Sterling as a central striker and a system which left out the likes of David Silva, Phil Foden, Bernado Silva and Riyad Mahrez.

You could understand the thought process of Guardiola. Cancelo and Walker were expected to shut out the threat from Lyon’s wingers, cause problems from the flanks, and allow Kevin De Bruyne to feed Gabriel Jesus and Sterling with opportunities.

But it didn’t make sense. City have mostly opted for 4-3-3 under Pep, which has seen Sterling on the left and one of Bernado Silva and Mahrez on the right, and with their attacking full-backs posing an additional threat out wide.

This system has proven to work. It worked in their title winning campaigns of 2018 and 2019 and worked against various high-calibre opposition. In particular, Real Madrid, who they beat 2-1 at the Etihad last weekend to progress to the finals in Portugal. If it worked against some of the best teams in Europe, why change it to a system which is unfamiliar to them?

They were too cautious and lacked their usual assertive edge, it was Lyon who dicated the tempo in the first 25 minutes and they took a deserved lead through Maxwell Cornet in the 23rd minute.

City did go up a gear from that point onwards, but even they weren’t able to make anything of the opportunites.  Twice Lyon’s goalkeeper Anthony Lopes parried the ball into the danger zone, yet no-one was able to capitalise on some poor mistakes. Though to be fair to Lopes, he did follow up with some good saves.

Even Kevin De Bruyne – who was named the Premier League’s player of the season today – created very little in the first 45. The first was from a free-kick where he tried to catch out Lopes from a wide angle, which proved to be a comfortbale save. The second was a huge moment right on half-time, where he picked out Sterling with his outside of the foot through ball, whose shot was well saved by the Lyon Keeper.

Pep did make a change early on, scrapping the three at the back by taking off Fernandinho and replacing him with Mahrez, who like Sterling was put out onto the wing .

And with 20 minutes to go the goal that Manchester City craved, arrived. Raheem Sterling cut the ball back to De Bruyne who placed his shot into the bottom corner of the net.

But even after City got back on level terms they were unable to find a second goal. Gabriel Jesus had the best of the chances, the first of them almost caught out Lopes at his near after skipping away from Lyon’s back line, the second was when he was unable to make contact from a Sterling cross.

Many were calling Guardiola to make a change following De Bruyne’s equaliser on 70 minutes. The likes of Foden and the two Silvas on the bench waiting. But he didn’t, infact Pep wouldn’t bring on someone until the 84th minute, a decision which ultimately backfired for City.

City were committing more bodies forward and it created an open game. Rudi Garcia’s men began to sense they could win it too and went on the front foot once again. Their captain Memphis Depay, was swapped for the former Celtic striker, Moussa Dembele – a man who had the biggest say on the game.

With 12 minutes to go, Houssem Aouar picked out the Frenchman who was left one-on-one with City ‘keeper Ederson, and despite the huge touch off the Brazilian, the ball found the back off the net and put the Ligue 1 side back infront.

It was a goal which incensed Manchester City, who felt there was two decisions not picked up by VAR. One of the Lyon players was offside and skipped over the ball in the build up which led to shouts of interference in play. The second was that Dembele had fouled centre-back Aymeric Laporte, which put him clean through on goal.

In truth City have a right to be angered by the decision to give the goal, but at the same time you could argue that it was poor defending from City too. They played a high-line which was practically in the Lyon half just moments before, which also contributed to the French side’s break.

But there was still time left, and the long-awaited call to bring on a sub was finally heard. David Silva was brought on for Rodri. Many were hoping that the Spaniard would make an impact.

Within a minute of Silva coming on, City were on the break again. Jesus wriggled his way through the Lyon defence and cut the ball across to Raheem Sterling, who with an open net to tap home into, was expected to level proceedings.

However, Sterling, a man who has netted 31 times for City this season, had inexplicably missed. The England international, blasted his shot over the crossbar from just six yards. The winger who himself must have thought he had equalised, was left in disbelief.

And that came to haunt him and his team. Instantly after the miss, Lopes’ route one ball eventually found Houssem Aouar. His softly placed shot was thumbled by Ederson into the path of Dembele, who put his close range effort away and all but sealed Lyon’s progression through to the Champions League semi-finals.

The full-time whistle encapsulated the contrasting emotions. Lyon, who worked so hard throughout the match, had celebrated as if they had won the Champions League. But the same could not be said for Manchester City as Sterling and Jesus immediately dropped to the floor in despair.

The defeat in Lisbon means that City have failed to get past the quarter-finals for the third season running, and are yet to make the last four under Guardiola.

But arguably the most disappointing thing that comes from that defeat is that it was also David Silva’s final ever apperance for the Citizens. After a illustrious ten years at the club, which saw him win four Premier League titles, two FA Cup and five League Cups, it has come to an end.

Many City fans would have hoped it would have ended with him lifting the European Cup, but instead it ended in a fourth year of disappointment in the competition.

Lyon now turn their attention to Wednesday night and a semi-final clash with a Bayern Munich side in hot form, with Pep Guardiola’s side left to rue what could have been.

The loss has summed up what has been a below par season from Manchester City, who will be hoping mistakes won’t be made again next season.