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LISBON: Lyon’s players celebrate their win at the end of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final football match between Manchester City and Lyon at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon on August 15, 2020. —AFP Lyon stun Man City, book semis Dembele delivers fatal blow as Cornet punishes Man City again

LISBON: Moussa Dembele broke his you’ve got to keep your spirits up and make rent sporting director Juninho to become Champions League drought in timely fash- sure that when the coach brings you on you “one of the best in the world”. It wasn’t the ion in Lisbon on Saturday after Maxwel play your part,” Dembele told RMC Sport new arrivals who swung the tie in Lyon’s Cornet again proved a thorn in Manchester after Saturday’s 3-1 win. He did that and favor at the Estadio Jose Alvalade but City’s side with his fourth goal in three more, running on to Houssem Aouar’s pass Dembele has proved another shrewd pur- games against the Premier League heavy- to put Lyon back ahead within four minutes chase, joining from Celtic as a 22-year-old weights. Quite remarkably, no player has of his entrance-and then delivered the coup in August 2018 after two largely prolific struck more often versus Pep Guardiola’s de grace three minutes from time after City seasons in Scotland. Cornet, meanwhile, City since the start of the 2018-19 season goalkeeper Ederson spilled a tame shot in cost a mere 400,000 euros ($475,000) than the Ivory Coast international, with only the area. when he arrived from Metz five years ago. Tottenham forward Son Heung-Min breach- Former France youth international Cornet, ing their defense as many times. ‘Extraordinary’ now 23, was close to joining Wolfsburg at Converted into a wing-back this season Lyon, understandably viewed as rank one point before staying put, a decision by Lyon coach Rudi Garcia on the left of a outsiders following a dismal seventh-placed that has played out favourably for both 3-5-2 formation, Cornet has adjusted seam- finish in a campaign cut short by the player and club. lessly to the new role after spending most of coronavirus pandemic, had shown what they “These are extraordinary games to play his time at the club as a right-sided attacker. were capable of last season by taking four in. A Champions League quarter-final While Cornet’s magnificent first-time finish points off City in the group stage. However, doesn’t coming along every day,” said gave Lyon the lead against City on 24 min- that was close to two years ago, and Lyon’s Cornet. “It’s true it fell against City and utes, it wasn’t until the introduction of top team in the latter encounter included three tonight was another success for me. “We scorer Dembele that the French side admin- key players who have since departed. play these matches to play against the best istered the knockout blow to one of the Captain , part of France’s World in the world, we’re lucky to do it. If we’re competition’s favorites for the title. Cup-winning squad in 2018, was sold to here, it’s not by chance. We worked a lot in Despite a haul of 22 goals in 44 games Betis, while midfielder preparation, and that was seen today.” this term, Dembele had failed to register in left for Tottenham Hotspur and left-back Lyon could conceivably meet Paris Saint- eight Champions League outings and was Ferland Mendy is now at Real Madrid. Germain in an all-French final on August LISBON: Manchester City’s English midfielder Raheem Sterling (right) is comfort- again relegated to the bench as Lyon stuck Lyon have reinvested money from those 23, but first must find a way past an irre- ed by Lyon’s French forward Moussa Dembele at the end of the UEFA Champions with the same line-up that overcame sales to acquire young, burgeoning talents sistible Bayern Munich-the same oppo- League quarter-final football match between Manchester City and Lyon at the Juventus on away goals last week. “When such as Bruno Guimaraes, the Brazilian nents who ended their run in the 2010 Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon on August 15, 2020. —AFP you’re on the bench it’s not always easy but midfielder tipped by club legend and cur- semi-finals. —AFP

his team. Clearly it irritates the Spaniard great- from that game, replacing the attacking mid- played in France with Olympique Marseille, Champions League ly, indeed at times he appears almost obsessed fielder Phil Foden with an extra defender in 19- reaching the final of the European Cup in 1991, with the competition. Throughout this season, year-old Eric Garcia. It was an unexpected had no doubts that Guardiola should have Guardiola has frequently referred to the decision. Clearly Guardiola felt that he needed allowed City to play their normal way. “They has become a thorn Champions League, without prompting, when to neutralize a Lyon attack that can often take didn’t trouble them enough, it needed a David asked questions about the domestic campaign. the form of a trident but it quickly became Silva playing between the gaps. They wouldn’t in Guardiola’s side There is a noticeably different demeanour to apparent that the move had handed the French have liked playing against Phil Foden tonight,” Guardiola in the build-up to Champions League side the initiative in midfield and City were he said. “Pep Guardiola has to put his hands up LISBON: With the millions they have invested games, he is edgier, even in the group stage unable to dominate in their usual manner. tonight and say I got it wrong.” Lyon coach in top players and with the most respected where he has a tendency to exaggerate the Rudi Garcia added to the debate with his asser- coach of his generation in charge, Manchester quality of relatively modest opponents. Chasing the match tion that his team had “won the tactical battle”. City should be doing much better than going The assumption had always been that City, When he belatedly took off defender But Guardiola was dismissive of that notion. out of the Champions League in the last eight. as relative newcomers to the European elite, Fernandinho for winger Riyad Mahrez, in the “In this competition the tactics are not the most But after their shock 3-1 defeat by Olympique just needed to adjust to the different demands 56th minute, City’s attacking threat increased important thing,” Guardiola told a news confer- Lyonnais on Saturday that is exactly what City that the Champions League can place on a significantly and 13 minutes later they drew lev- ence. “They (Lyon) are so fast and our central have done in the last three years. team. “One day we will break this gap to the el. Guardiola’s tactics don’t explain how his side defenders are not so quick so I didn’t want to Guardiola was brought into the club, by their semis,” he said after Saturday’s loss. “The team allowed a simple ball over the top to lead to leave them two versus two. “We worked for Abu Dhabi based owner Sheikh Mansour, after over last few years deserve it. Maybe one day Moussa Dembele’s goal to make it 2-1, nor do three days on this, we discussed it and we his predecessor as manager, Chilean Manuel we’ll break this gap.” But now questions are they have anything to do with Raheem Sterling reviewed this and when you play like we did in Pellegrini had taken the club to the semi-finals being asked of Guardiola himself and surpris- then missing an absolute sitter from close the last 20 minutes it shows the system is not of the Champions League, while also winning ingly for a man considered to be a master tacti- range. The third goal came with City desperate- the problem.” But the fact remains that a City the Premier League title. And while Guardiola cian, of his team selection and formation. ly chasing the match in search of a leveller but team which beat ’s Real were has brought two Premier League titles, City had looked a mature, top European there still remains the question of whether good enough to beat Lyon and didn’t. Working smashed records and produced some of the team while beating 13-times winners Real Guardiola had simply over-complicated the out exactly why, will be something that most glorious football the club’s fans have ever Madrid home and away in the previous round. team’s task. Guardiola is now likely to deeply ponder for seen — European success remains elusive to But Guardiola changed the winning formula Former England winger Chris Waddle, who many months. —Reuters