Africana55 Radio 69 mins:
Manchester City take on Lyon for a place in the Champions League semi-finals.
Pep Guardiola’s side will know the pressure is on them to book a date with favourites Bayern Munich – who thrashed Barcelona 8-2 on Friday. Though the French side are high on confidence after eliminating Juventus in the last 16. The last of the quarter-finals, Portugal has delivered three thrilling matches so far, with the one-leg format shifting the dynamic of each tie.
Kyle Walker has spoken about the importance of this competition to ensure City elevate themselves to the “next pedestal”. Follow all the live action, updates and analysis below:
2020-08-15T20:23:47.060Z
66 mins: Gabriel Jesus is brought down on the edge of the box by Marcelo and the Lyon centre-back goes in the book. This is a good area to go for goal. De Bruyne and Mahrez stand over the set piece. Mahrez runs over it and De Bruyne curls one at the far corner but goes wide.
2020-08-15T20:21:35.056Z
63 mins: Better from City, they're getting more men into the box now. De Bruyne sends a cross into the far post for Sterling but there's a bit too much on the pass and Sterling can't quite reach it.
Marcal takes a shot from a long way out. He strikes it well enough but it's a simple save for Ederson.
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2020-08-15T20:13:18.816Z
54 mins: Cornet makes a meal out of some contact from Fernandinho and has to be nominated for best actor at the Baftas. Riyad Mahrez is stripped and ready to go. Man City need an injection of pace.
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2020-08-15T20:09:28.563Z
51 mins: Garcia holds on to Depay too long and gives Lyon a free kick about 25-yard from goal. Depay runs at the ball and drills one but hits the wall and the ball is won back by Man City.
2020-08-15T20:07:01.106Z
48 mins: Guardiola hasn't changed the shape either. Ekambi wins a corner for Lyon but De Bruyne clears it away as the ball comes into the box.
Cancelo goes on a decent run down the left wing but Denayer comes across and puts a stop to it.
2020-08-15T20:03:46.836Z
Second half: Man City were out early and they look focussed. No changes at half time from either team as Lyon get the match back underway.
2020-08-15T19:57:18.583Z
Pep Guardiola has won four of the last seven Champions League knockout matches in which his team has been trailing at half-time, including most recently versus Schalke in February 2019
But, he seems to over-complicate things at this stage with Man City. There's no question of the talent in this squad but they need to get over this mental barrier, go out in the second half and perform.
2020-08-15T19:52:20.673Z
I think it's safe to say the next 45 minutes are some of the biggest in Pep Guardiola's tenure as Man City boss. The media narrative around his team says that they choke in the Champions League knockout stages and Guardiola finds his team behind at the break.
The five at the back formation hasn't worked, City need to revert back to type. Bring on Mahrez, Foden and the Silvas and go after Lyon. If they get the next goal, City will be confident they can win inside of the 90.
Lyon won't change a thing other than the personnel. Rudi Garcia's gameplan is working perfectly.
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2020-08-15T19:45:37.310Z
45 mins: De Bruyne wins a corner for Man City. He sends it into the box and Rodri heads it over the bar. Two minutes to be added on at the end of the half.
2020-08-15T19:43:32.833Z
42 mins: Sterling and De Bruyne have swapped sides. Laporte puts a cross into the box and Marcal heads it out but City win it back. Sterling makes a run into the right side of the box and receives the ball. He cuts it back to Rodri who shoots and forces Lopes into a save.
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2020-08-15T19:39:40.513Z
39 mins: City win another free kick over on the left wing near the penalty area. De Bruyne goes for goal and Lopes punches it away again.
2020-08-15T19:38:41.376Z
36 mins: Fernandinho and Aouar clash heads going for an aerial ball and the game stops for a couple of minutes why they are seen to.
Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez have been sent to warm up.
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2020-08-15T19:35:01.740Z
33 mins: Memphis Depay puts a free kick into the far side of the box and City defend it well. There's a spark missing from City's forward play, a lack of creativity, no sustained attacks.
2020-08-15T19:30:49.046Z
30 mins: De Bruyne fires the free kick into the six-yard box and Lopes punches it strongly away.
Fernandinho then gives Lyon a free kick about 30 yards from goal. Depay flicks it into the box but it skips through without threatening the City defence.
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Kyle Walker on City’s need to win the Champions League: “I think if you had asked me this two years ago when I signed here, I would have probably said that the Premier League was the big one for me having not won it before.
“Now I have collected two of them and a number of others and this is the one that I want, and I can probably speak on behalf of the whole squad and Manchester City as well for what they need as a club to put them onto that next pedestal.”
