Don’t bet against Lyon.
Les Gones produced yet another upset in the Champions League on Saturday, beating Manchester City 3-1 a week after eliminating Juventus.
Moussa Dembele scored twice off the bench to send Lyon to the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2010.
Raheem Sterling missed a glorious chance to equalize in the 86th minute. With an open net in front of him, the 25-year-old sent his shot well over the crossbar. Dembele iced the game a minute later with a finish from close range.
Lyon, who finished seventh in Ligue 1, will now face Bayern Munich in the semifinals Wednesday.
For the first time in modern Champions League history, there are no English, Spanish, or Italian teams in the semifinals.
Lyon pounced on City early in the first half, and Maxwel Cornet made them pay with a fantastic curling finish in the 21st minute. It was Cornet’s fourth goal in three games against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Playing with a back-three, City struggled to create chances. Kevin De Bruyne did the majority of the work on his own, and it was the Belgian international who eventually canceled out Cornet’s opener in the 69th minute with a well-placed strike from inside the area.
But Lyon continued to make the most of their opportunities. Caught in an offside position, Karl Toko Ekambi let Houssem Aouar’s defense-splitting pass roll into the path of Dembele, who sprang free and snuck a shot past the helpless Ederson.
Dembele appeared to clip Aymeric Laporte before streaking clear, but the goal stood.
Then came Sterling’s ultimate faux pas. Gabriel Jesus found the English international wide open in the area, only for him to sky his effort over the empty cage.
Guardiola, who’s failed to win the Champions League since leaving Barcelona in 2012, dropped to his knees. It was at that moment that City lost the tie. Dembele went the other way and buried Ederson when he spilled a saveable shot.
