Lyon stun Guardiola’s Man City to reach Champions League semis

17 Aug


LISBON — Moussa Dembele came off the bench to score two late goals as Lyon caused another Champions League sensation on Saturday, dumping out Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City with a 3-1 quarter-final win in Lisbon.


City had looked on course to come back and win the tie behind closed doors at the Estadio Jose Alvalade after Kevin De Bruyne’s goal midway through the second half had cancelled out Maxwel Cornet’s first-half opener.


However, Dembele put Lyon back ahead in the 79th minute and then capitalised on a shocking miss by Raheem Sterling to clinch the victory three minutes from the end.


Against all expectations, a team who finished seventh in the curtailed French season, and had played just two competitive games since early March, now find themselves through to a Champions League semi-final on Wednesday against Bayern Munich.


That, surely, will be a step too far for Rudi Garcia’s team but then again nobody expected them to eliminate Juventus in the last round, never mind knock out City here.


“We are still in it, which means we have a great team,” former Celtic striker Dembele told French television channel RMC Sport.


“We are taking it game by game, not getting carried away. We will try to be ready for Bayern.” Guardiola’s team had been warned about Lyon, losing at home and then drawing away against the French club in last season’s Champions League.


AFP