Turin (Italy) (AFP)

We were expecting Cristiano Ronaldo, he responded with a double, but that was not enough to qualify Juventus, ousted from the Champions League after their draw against Lyon (2-1) Friday in Turin.

Juventus, its nine Italian league titles in a row, its three finals in C1 in 20 years and its five-time Ballon d'Or with 131 goals and 5 titles in the competition have folded against OL, accustomed to games Europeans, but modest 7th in the French Championship this season.

Already disappointing five months ago during the first leg in Lyon where it lost 1-0, Maurizio Sarri's team woke up too late in his Juventus stadium behind closed doors against that of Rudi Garcia who will face in quarterfinals Manchester City, striker of Real Madrid.

- Unclear penalties -

After a domineering first quarter of an hour, Ronaldo's teammates conceded a penalty for a foul on Aouar, slightly unbalanced by Bernardeschi.

Already the author of five goals in this C1 campaign, but absent in the first leg due to a rupture of the cruciate ligaments in one knee, Memphis added a sixth in the most beautiful way. With a subtle panenka, the captain of Lyon placed his team in orbit (1-0, 12th).

But the Dutchman involuntarily put the Turinese back in the game forty minutes later by conceding a penalty for a hand foul on a free kick from Pjanic. A very severe sanction in view of the images. It is in strength that Ronaldo chose to equalize (1-1, 43rd) against his compatriot Anthony Lopes who had superbly dismissed a free kick from CR7 three minutes earlier.

- Ronaldo will not see Lisbon -

The Portuguese, already hero of the round of 16 return against Atletico Madrid last year where his hat-trick had reversed the confrontation and sent his team to the quarterfinals, almost repeated the feat.

At the hour of play, Lopes could not do anything this time on a splendid strike from the left of the former Real Madrid striker (2-1, 60th), following a loss of ball from Memphis. A Ronaldo very close to the hat-trick in the 75th when his head went slightly above the Lyon cage.

The entry for the last twenty minutes of the best player in Serie A, Paulo Dybala, recently hit in the left thigh and substitute at kick-off, did not allow the Italians to score the qualifying goal. Worse, the Argentine nugget had to give up its place 13 minutes later, again hit in the thigh.

A last free kick from Ronaldo in added time, deflected by the Lyon wall, buried Turin's last hopes.

The Portuguese who dreamed of playing the "Final 8" at home in Lisbon, will have to be content with an Italian title. Juventus, which had won only two of its last eight league games, ended the season in the worst possible way, exhausted by the accumulation of matches at the end of the season shifted by the coronavirus.

For its part, Lyon repeats its feat of 2010 when it had eliminated Real Madrid in 8th. Deprived of the end of Ligue 1 and of a European place this season, the Lyonnais can continue to believe in their crazy dream of qualifying for the next C1. We will have to achieve an even greater feat by winning nothing less than this 2020 edition.

© 2020 AFP