Lyon vs Manchester City: Looking back at 2018's four goal thriller 

As Manchester City face Lyon in the Champions League quarter-final it's time to look back to when the two powerhouses played out a classic 2-2 draw in 2018. 

Lyon vs Manchester City: Looking back at 2018's four goal thriller 
(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
joegriff
By Joe Griffiths

As Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side prepare for their Champions League quarter-final against French giants Lyon, let's look back through the archives to the last time these sides went head to head in a four goal thriller.

We head back to November 2018, when believe it or not fans were allowed into grounds to cheer on their sides, to a Champions League group stage tie where City were given a tougher test than they might have imagined. 

Pep Guardiola's side went into the game having lost 2-1 against the French outfit at the Etihad Stadium earlier in the group stage. City were looking for revenge but were without a host of key players including Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus.

Both City and Lyon were desperate for a result to help them secure qualification into the later rounds of the biggest club tournament in the world and the frantic beginning showed this.

Lyon had the first great chance of the game as Memphis Depay missed a golden opportunity to put his side ahead after a superb challenge from Kyle Walker. City themselves had a great opportunity to take the lead just minutes later but Riyad Mahrez fired a tame shot into the hands of Lyon's goalkeeper Anthony Lopes

The best chance of the first half was yet to come though as Maxwel Cornet missed a sitter just yards out after being played in beautifully by Ferland Mendy, now of Real Madrid. The same man, Cornet then smashed the upright with an acrobatical effort as the first half somehow finished goalless. 

Cornet causes City second half chaos

The second half began with a bang and it came from the left boot of that man again, Cornet. Depay found him beautifully on the edge of the area and the winger cut in majestically onto his left foot to fire home past a stranded Ederson

It didn't take long though for a rallying City to equalise as Raheem Sterling's whipped in free kick found the head of the onrushing City defender Aymeric Laporte. 

It was now all City as they continued to create chance after chance but against the run of play the dynamic duo of Depay and Cornet once again teamed up to stun Guardiola's side. Depay played a lovely ball through the middle of City's defence and Cornet was able to slot home underneath a helpless Ederson once more. 

Just when Lyon though they had the game all wrapped up and qualification secured the little maestro Sergio Aguero came up with the goods to secure City a point. The Argentine striker who had been quiet all game found the smallest of spaces inside the box to head home from Mahrez's pinpoint corner. 

The game ended in a fascinating 2-2 draw where City were pushed all the way by a valiant Lyon side who never once backed down.

Will we see more of the same from the French side on Saturday or will Guardiola's men brush them aside as they have to many in this competition so far to reach the Champions League semi-finals?