Manchester City vs Lyon: After highs of Real Madrid win, Pep Guardiola's side must go again
The story of Man City's Champions League run is a spell-binding one - but Lyon could deliver a harsh reality check, writes Peter Smith. Man Ciy vs Lyon, kick-off 8pm, Saturday. Follow the build-up, action and fallout on the Sky Sports website and app with our live blog.
Saturday 15 August 2020 20:40, UK
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Guardiola: This is once in a lifetime
Pep Guardiola has called on his Manchester City players to embrace a special moment in their careers as they chase Champions League glory in Portugal.
He said: "I think this is an important moment for our careers, for our lives as professionals. So this is one in a lifetime and I think being together is exceptional. I prefer - people know it - to be at home, I don't like to be in hotels. But this is a special [situation].
"The base is quite comfortable and the weather is fantastic. That's why it is nice to be here and our dream is to do a good game and stay a few more days in this lovely country.
"Anything can happen but we are ready and will do our best performance to go through. I don't expect that it will be one side for 90 minutes. There will be moments when we have to suffer.
"Here is a tough team with a lot of good players. We have to be focused on ourselves, be prepared and fight until the end to try to win."
Garcia: The odds can be overturned
Lyon reached the last eight by pulling off a shock win over Italian champions Juventus in the previous round and that victory has given manager Rudi Garcia the belief they can upset the form book again as they face City.
"A victory against Juventus gives us greater confidence and, of course, we do have greater desire now," he said.
"Manchester City are naturally the favourites for this tie but the start of these quarter-finals have shown that the odds can be overturned.
"It would be historic to have two French sides in last four and we want to follow PSG, but it doesn't change our approach if it is over one or two legs.
"It is harder to pull off shock over two legs but we managed it against Juventus. I hope we might have an even greater chance of going through over one leg."
Team news
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."
For Lyon, former Man City defender Jason Denayer and Ivory Coast international Maxwel Cornet - who scored three times in the two games against the English side last season - to overcome knocks.
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).
