Football news - How Premier League title chasers can emulate Lyon to catch Manchester City

Updated 28/11/2018 at 16:36 GMT

Manchester City sealed qualification for the Champions League knock-out stage, but Lyon showed how they can be vulnerable, writes Ben Grounds.

Maxwel Cornet

Image credit: Getty Images

The Champions League showed me again it is a different competition, especially for one reason: the players are better.

This was the frank and honest assessment of Pep Guardiola after his Manchester City side followed up their routine 4-0 win over West Ham with a hard-fought 2-2 draw in Lyon to qualify for the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition.

Guardiola had been complimentary of West Ham, feeling the scoreline was a poor reflection of the game, but it had been another stroll in the capital, a sixth successive win in London. Pep wasn’t fooling anyone.

The Emirates FA Cup

'Don't understand how we survived' - Guardiola hits out at 'unacceptable' schedule

20/04/2024 at 20:03

The noises coming from the away dressing room at the Groupama Stadium was that this was very much an upgrade on the weekly toil of winning matches with ease in the Premier League, where the sense of a procession is gathering once more.

Pep Guardiola was effusive in his praise of Lyon on Tuesday night

Image credit: Getty Images

On one level, saying that the Champions League offers far tougher assignments is telling us nothing new, but it may indirectly be used by the Premier League’s title chasers to refortify their efforts in catching them.

City have conceded just five goals in 13 Premier League matches this season, but Bruno Genesio showed that the Champions League favourites can be breached, with his side scoring four past the English champions in just 180 minutes.

Guardiola’s reaction to his side’s ability to respond twice to falling behind summed up the relief felt by the Catalan after preserving City’s position at the top of Group F. A draw in their final game against already-eliminated Hoffenheim will secure qualification as winners.

"Lyon really has a very good team,” he continued. “There are young people full of quality and I think the team is in place tactically. I think we can congratulate them, we have had absences tonight, but we have to congratulate them.

We are so delighted and so happy. It is a big compliment for the team, we played one of the toughest teams I've ever faced.

At home, City have opened up a two-point lead in the league and look irresistible. Guardiola knows in Europe he will face a far sterner test, but there are lessons that can be learned from Lyon’s fruitful return of four points from two games.

Lyon no better than England's best

Fernandinho was over-run at times in the Man City midfield

Image credit: Getty Images

The French side are already 15 points adrift of Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 and yet, curiously, the side that trail City by two points in the Premier League – Liverpool – beat the reigning French champions earlier this season.

They and the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal should all be encouraged by Lyon’s impressive containment of City – and there’s no reason why that chasing quartet can’t reproduce the same quality in one-off games.

Completing a double over City would have sent shockwaves around Europe, but becoming only the third club after Wolves and Liverpool to prevent City from scoring in open play represents the blueprint which should be followed.

Lyon rose to the occasion in a hostile environment, and if a similarly aggressive approach is taken by clubs no less talented in the top echelons of the Premier League, City will drop more points.

Don’t leave space in behind

Raheem Sterling was crowded out in midfield by the athletic Tanguy Ndombele

Image credit: Getty Images

City experienced an off-night, with Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling anonymous throughout. The feeling is that this was a point gained rather than two points dropped – and that was largely down to the defensive organisation of the hosts.

Jason Denayer impressed against his former club, while Fernando Marcal and Marcelo provided additional support in limiting Sergio Aguero to very few opportunities in open play.

There was none of the swashbuckling, free-flowing football seen at the London Stadium three days’ earlier, with Lyon not giving their opponents the type of space to exploit as West Ham had done so.

A far-from polished performance owed much to how Lyon set their stall out, with two set-piece goals denying the hosts what would have been a deserved victory.

Target the left-back

Maxwel Cornet gave Oleksandr Zinchenko a torrid evening

Image credit: Getty Images

Guardiola is never shy of providing his young players with stern tests in a bid to strengthen character. There had been suggestions that Phil Foden would be handed a start, but in the end it was at left-back where he sought to experiment.

Fabian Delph is enjoying another resurgence in form this month for club and country in the absence of Benjamin Mendy, but Oleksandr Zinchenko was given the nod on Tuesday night.

Cornet enjoyed his battle with the Ukrainian, cutting inside from the right-sided berth to unleash a fine curling shot which gave Lyon a 55th-minute opener.

This was one of Zinchenko’s toughest nights in a City shirt and underlined both his preference for playing in a more advanced role, and City’s need to have a specialist left-back should Mendy’s injury problems persist.

Sense an opportunity

A less subdued Memphis Depay would've capitalised on a below-par City

Image credit: Getty Images

Lyon manager Genesio said afterwards that he was left frustrated by the manner of the goals his side conceded, with the draw meaning that they need to avoid defeat in their final match in Donetsk to be assured of qualification for the last 16.

Lyon sensed an opportunity and refused to show City too much respect. Tanguy Ndombele was feted for his performance on commentary by BT Sport's Steve McManaman, and the former Liverpool ace was right in his assessment that City struggled to deal with the talented youngster's refusal to do anything except look for the forward pass.

The same defence-splitting balls through the centre should be attempted this weekend by Bournemouth, a side littered with players of an attacking mindset.

Surprise Pep

Guardiola hadn't planned for Lyon to set up with a five-man defence

Image credit: PA Sport

Les Gones have risen to a distant second in Ligue 1 having forged an eight-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, and they took confidence into facing a City side that was missing key personnel.

Added to the long-term absence of Kevin de Bruyne and Mendy, there was no Gabriel Jesus or Bernardo Silva meaning the best attacking options on the substitutes’ bench were Brahim Diaz and Foden.

With Ilkay Gundogan also unavailable, Lyon demonstrated the necessary confidence, pace and bravery both in and out of possession to cause problems.

City were forced to play Sterling in a deeper midfield role with Sane on the left and Riyad Mahrez on the right, but the system didn’t play to the Englishman’s strengths.

The reason for this was that Guardiola had planned for Lyon to play a four-man defence, with Genesio throwing a tactical surprise on a night when his opposite number had limited options on the bench to provide a response.

So what formation did Lyon play?

Cornet curls in Lyon's exquisite opener

Image credit: Getty Images

There was a clear structure to this Lyon side with the five-man defence shielded by the brilliant young double act of Houssem Aouar and Ndombele.

The attacking trio of Memphis Depay, Cornet and Nabil Fekir were given licence to interchange. The use of a false number nine created problems for John Stones and Aymeric Laporte, often unsure of who to mark as the triple entente sought to wreak havoc.

It was a similar tactic deployed by Everton during their 1-1 draw at the Etihad near the start of last season: a staunch five-man back line protected by two holding midfielders and a front three that were given freedom.

Liverpool enjoyed plenty of success against Guardiola’s side last season, winning on three occasions – also with a fluid front three.

Stay disciplined

David Silva was kept quiet and City's were resticted to very few chances

Image credit: Getty Images

City have been renowned for their fast starts in the Premier League, but the Premier League champions were limited to just four shots in the first half.

The only reason Lyon failed to go in at the interval with an advantage was due to the wastefulness of Cornet and Depay in front of goal, with the latter missing a gilt-edged chance from close range.

City have at times looked a better side away from home this season, also scoring three at Shakhtar and five at Cardiff, but they were limited to half chances by their well organised French opponents.

West Ham conceded four goals from six shots faced on target, while Lyon faced the same amount and yet conceded two fewer, and their missed opportunities provide further evidence that City can be got at.

City’s congested December

City face nine games in 30 days, starting with Bournemouth visiting the Etihad this Saturday:

December 1: Bournemouth (H)
December 4: Watford (A)
December 8: Chelsea (A)
December 12: Hoffenheim (H) Champions League Group F
December 15: Everton (H)
December 18: Leicester (A) League Cup quarter-final
December 22: Crystal Palace (H)
December 26: Leicester (A)
December 30: Southampton (A)

Learn from Lyon’s defensive lapses

Sergio Aguero heads in to restore parity for City from another set piece

Image credit: Getty Images

While the French side deserve plenty of plaudits for at times making City look ordinary, their inability to hold onto the lead on both occasions for longer than seven minutes illustrates the concentration levels needed to withstand City’s powers of recovery.

In avoiding defeat, Guardiola's delight in outwardly praising his players masks the feeling that City will have to rotate carefully come the knock-out stages in February if they are to continue to battle on multiple fronts.

This was an intriguing window into the challenges that lie ahead, and the recent spate of injuries to key personnel underlines how even City are vulnerable when approached in the right way.

Guardiola will want to finish top of the group by avoiding defeat to Hoffenheim, but with the calibre of Lyon only likely to be improved upon when the competition resumes in February, City will be desperate to establish a lead in the Premier League in the hope of being able to rotate.

Champions League

Exclusive: Bellingham 'loving every aspect' of life in Madrid as he plots City downfall

17/04/2024 at 16:18

Champions League

Exclusive: Guardiola demands Man City 'do better' in second leg with Madrid

17/04/2024 at 08:28

Champions League

Foden confirms 'dead leg' after 'fantastic result' in Madrid

09/04/2024 at 23:12

Join 3M+ users on app

Stay up to date with the latest news, results and live sports

Download

Scan me