Olympique Lyonnais are through to the last eight of the Champions League for the first time in over a decade and will face Manchester City. After beating Juventus over two legs in the Round of 16, Lyon will hope to break City hearts just as they did in the competition’s group stages almost two years ago.
On Saturday evening at the Estádio José Alvalade in Portugal, Lyon manager, Rudi Garcia has the opportunity to knock City out of Europe in Pep Guardiola’s third Champions League Quarter-Final with the club.
As the French outfit aim to echo their 2-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium (19/09/18) under then boss Bruno Génésio, just what exactly should Guardiola and his backroom staff be wary of prior to their trip to Lisbon?
Lyon’s Dutch Lion – Memphis Depay
Once a hot prospect in Manchester, Memphis Depay never really found his feet under Louis Van Gaal’s Red Devils back in 2017. Boasting however, six goals from six games (two from penalties) record in Lyon’s on-going European campaign, the 26-year-old Netherlands international is only the second of his countryman to score in six consecutive Champions League appearances.
Had this tie have been played when originally scheduled in April, Depay, who scored on nine of his 13 outings in the French Ligue 1, would have been injured with a cruciate ligament rupture. Instead, the likes of City defenders Kyle Walker and Fernandinho have their work cut out come the weekend.
Lyon’s High Line
At the other end of the pitch to Depay, 'Les Gones' possess Belgium centre, back Jason Denayer. Starting in all but one of Lyon’s eight Champions League fixtures, The former City man is vital to the high line that Garcia’s side often play.
An intelligent footballer, the 26-year-old is pivotal when forcing forwards into offside positions. Juventus striker, Paulo Dybala learnt this the hard way, as the Argentine illegally slotting past Anthony Lopes in the Lyon goal with the Old Lady a goal down in the first leg.
Following City’s defeat to Lyon last season, Guardiola told BT Sport that: “They [Lyon] are one of the toughest sides I have ever faced.”
A counter-attacking force, Lyon are quick to break and very rarely fall out of shape. Finding gaps between opposition back lines and playing runners on the inside, a breakaway can prove lethal.
Whilst City winger Raheem Sterling sets his sights on becoming the first player since the 70s to score 35 goals in a season for the Sky Blues, (Franny Lee currently holding the record), Lyon’s Moussa Dembélé could prove a threat to City’s Semi-Final hopes, another French star man to watch with 16 goals from 35 league games this campaign.
Lyon’s Weakness
Reaching this stage of the tournament with victories over RB Leipzig, S.L. Benfica and as previously mentioned Juventus, Lyon have already tasted a reasonable amount of success in contrast to their mediocre Ligue 1 finish – Lyon sat 7th in the table prior to Covid-19.
Often struggling when under pressure, however, Lyon fans will worry for their team, City’s style of play difficult enough to control without the possibility of a defender or even their goalkeeper making an error.
Speaking to RMC Sport, Lyon’s shot-stopper Lopes said: “The only solution for us to be in the Champions’ League next season is to win this tournament.”
Losing to Zenit Saint Petersburg 2-0 in the group stages, the French side exhibited weakness that suggests Champions League triumph is unlikely. Uninspired against the Russians and indeed against Benfica, Garcia’s side throughout have allowed opponents far too much time and space on the ball – strikes from outside of the box making up three of the ten goals conceded so far.
Lopes himself can prove shaky on occasion too, the Lyon number one gifting Benfica midfielder, Pizzi a winner after cheaply throwing away possession in the 86th minute of an even tie.
Expected Lyon Line-Up
As predicted by the official Champions League website, Lyon are expected to line up as follows:
Lopes, Denayer, Marcelo, Marçal; Dubois, Caqueret, Guimarães, Aouar, Cornet, Depay and Dembélé.
