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Who from OL or Manchester City will win the last ticket for the semi-finals of the Champions League? The Lyonnais hope to create the feat against the Citizens, widely favorites. The winner of the meeting will find in the last four Bayern Munich, which was merciless against Barca on Friday night (8-2).
Manchester City - Lyon, kick off at 9 p.m.
The meeting can also be followed live on the antenna of Europe 1, until 11:30 p.m.
Update on Lyon: will the Lyonnais achieve a second feat in the Final 8 of the Champions League? After having created the surprise by winning its qualification for the quarter-finals despite a defeat against Juventus (2-1), OL see a new big chunk coming its way: Manchester City. For the Lyonnais, the march is high. But this competition format, adapted because of the coronavirus crisis, favors the weaker teams. Because in a dry match, anything can happen. But Lyon has few certainties. Finally ranked 7th in Ligue 1 after the end of the championship in March, they lost their two matches played since the resumption, in the final of the League Cup against PSG, then against Juve, last Friday.
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In attack, Lyon is struggling, only gets rare opportunities and too often has to rely on the sole talent of its captain Memphis Depay. To climb into the last four of the Champions League, OL will have to raise their level of play. But behind the scenes, the Lyon clan is still optimistic. Rudi Garcia's players remember that, last season, they had more than stood up to the Citizens (a victory, a draw), during the group stages. Marwel Cornet was also one of the architects of these two great performances. Hit in the thigh against Juve and then spared this week in training, the left side is finally returned and should hold, in the hope of repeating the feat. Houssem Aouar should also take his place, even if he was scared on Friday in training, hit in the ankle.
Against Manchester City, Lyon is playing the fifth Champions League quarter-final in its history. The last time was in 2010, against Bordeaux. In the semifinals, OL were then beaten by… Bayern, a club that they would also find in the next match, in the event of qualification. It should also be noted that a final victory in the Champions League is now the only way for Jean-Michel Aulas' club to play the C1 next season.
Update on Manchester City: one of the favorites of the competition. The Champions League has become a real obsession for Pep Guardiola, the coach of the Citizens. After finishing second in the Premier League, winning the C1 is the goal of his season. Since the start of the competition, City has impressed: the English have not lost any match (four wins and two draws in the group stage). In the eighth, City beat Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid twice (2-1, 2-1). The Citizens are undeniably one of the favorites of the competition, even if Pep Guardiola refused this status at a press conference.
"Every year it's the same question. The pressure is still there. We try to do our best, like the other teams. We are prepared, but there is an opponent in front [...] Every year , the club is growing. Not in the results, but on the organizational side. [...] It is important to have beaten the king of the competition (Real, in the eighth). But, in a match, anything can happen. We saw that in the first two quarters. We are not the favorites (of the tournament), "he said on Friday.
To face OL, the Citizens record the return of French international Benjamin Mendy, suspended in the last match against Real. Above all, City will as usual be able to count on Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian midfielder is the best creator of chances in Europe (4.4 key passes per game).
Update on the competition. The match between Manchester City and Lyon is the last quarter-final of C1, before moving to the last four? Paris, Leipzig and Bayern have already validated their ticket. The winner of Saturday night's meeting will meet up with the German champion on Wednesday August 19 (9 p.m.).
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the format of the Champions League has been adapted. UEFA has opted for a "Final 8", where the matches of the final phase are played in a dry match, and more back and forth. Goodbye, the rule of goals counting double away. Another change: teams are allowed to make five substitutions during the match (instead of the usual three). A sixth player can also enter during the game, in the event of extra time. All matches are played in Lisbon, Luz stadium, behind closed doors. The final is scheduled to take place on August 23.