The 2020 UEFA Champions League semi-final line-up is complete following an exhilarating Lyon victory over Manchester City Saturday night in Lisbon, Portugal.
A stunning Maxwell Cornet opener in the first half and a second-half Moussa Dembele brace handed pre-match underdogs Lyon a deserved win over City whose consolation goal came courtesy Raheem Sterling, who missed a sitter to draw the Cityzens level with five minutes left to play.
While it was an interesting and exciting encounter for neutrals, here are three things we learnt from the match.
Farmers Are Eating Good
It has been a year of bountiful harvest season for farmers in the Champions League with four teams set to battle each other in the semi-final stage.
🇪🇸 ❌
🏴 ❌For the first time since the 1995/96 season, there are no Spanish or English teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League pic.twitter.com/FeWkvmLEfl
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) August 15, 2020
For many years, football fans have described certain leagues as “farmers”, with Ligue 1 and Bundesliga the most hit. However, the season’s Champions League will be remembered as the year for the farmers.
Four semi-finalists, two each from Ligue 1 and Bundesliga respectively means farmers will replace Liverpool as the champions.
Lyon’s path appears to be the most impressive, having faced two of the pre-tournament favourites, a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Juventus and of course, the Billionaires, City, in quick succession.
Lyon have knocked out TWO contenders. They have made the semis in the HARDER side of the draw, as the team considered the weakest in the bracket.
Kicked out Serie A champs who have CRISTIANO RONALDO.
Then kicked out a PEP GUARDIOLA team in a single leg game.
Respect them.
— Cerebronè (@Cerebrone) August 15, 2020
Like Uber, farmers are indeed ‘eating good’.
Maxwell Cornet is a City hater
“You don’t get to play in a UEFA Champions League quarter-final everyday. Tonight it was against City and fortune smiled on me again against them.”
Fortune indeed has smiled on Cornet not just once (last night) but four times against City in the Champions League.
⚽️ 🆚 Manchester City ✅
⚽️⚽️ 🆚 Manchester City ✅
⚽️ 🆚 Manchester City ✅Lyon have scored 5⃣ goals in the last 3⃣ #UCL meetings with Manchester City – Maxwel Cornet has scored 4⃣ of them
Lyon lead Manchester City at the Estádio José Alvalade pic.twitter.com/1zUxjNfKgg
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) August 15, 2020
Cornet’s astonishing opener Saturday night set Lyon sailing en route a famous win, but that was not his first time against Pep Guardiola’s richly assembled side.
Lyon have scored five goals in their last three meetings against City with the impressive Cornet responsible for four of the goals. What was he said earlier – oh yes, “fortune smiled on me again”, Fortunate indeed.
Aouar is the main-man for Lyon
While Dembele will take all the headlines and rightly so after his off-the-bench heroics, scoring a decisive brace, one player whose performance must have gone under the radar was midfielder Houssem Aouar.
He was of high quality in the middle of the park for the French side on and off the ball as he made them tick with his tenacity and decision making throughout what was an intense midfield battle.
Aouar completed the most dribbles (4), created two chances, one key pass and of course, the decisive pass that put Dembele through on goal to score the goal that restored Lyon’s lead after Sterling had equalized for City.
The 22-year-old was also the most fouled Lyon player, with eight (8) recoveries to his name. Wonderful performance from the youngster at the biggest stage.
“I don’t watch French football a lot, but if I have to say a name, for me, it is Houssem Aouar,” City star, Kelvin De Bruyne said after the game, according to RMC Sport.
As they often say in football, real recognizes real!