Manchester City eliminated: The Champions League curse of the Pep Guardiola

In the 86. Minute shone again, faint hope on the sky-blue Firmament for Manchester City. After a sharp pass from Gabriel Jesus Raheem Sterling had to hold the foot in the Ball. It is the balance to the 2:2 would have been against Olympique Lyon, the City almost certainly would have at least saved in the extension of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. – Would have. to press

Because instead of the Ball over the line, scored Manchester's top scorer this season the Ball in the night sky of Lisbon. Stunned, Sterling sat after this missed Chance, near the gate, hands over his head beaten. Even Lyon's goalkeeper Anthony Lopes, patting the attacker encouragingly, almost pitying the page. To suspect both rails what to do with sterling's failed shot.

Exactly 60 seconds later it was this idea of certainty: The Champions League season ends with Manchester City in the quarter-finals once again. A shot of Houssem Aouar Ederson the goal of Citizens was to the front of the bounce, where Moussa Dembélé lurked, and the uncertainty of the Brazilian circuit's with the hit to the 3:1-end of cold punished (87.). Just ten minutes earlier, the Frenchman, at this time, only four minutes in the game had to be decided, the duel with the City's number one when he showed up after a strong Pass Aouars free from Ederson, the Dembélés statements touched yet, the impact, however, could not prevent (79.).

Manchester seemed to be, after a weak performance in the first round with a kick-off to have reasonably captured. The Lyon's leadership by Maxwell Cornet (24.) regardless of Kevin De Bruyne capitalized in the 69. Minute of the game after he had a free-kick, before just a little targeted.

According to the settlement, it seemed the Premier League wanted to Second the difficulty of the extra saving time for the semi-finals against Bayern and the match against the French in the regular season to decide. "In the second half we made a good game, but then we have to give two gifts to Lyon", resented De Bruyne after the final whistle on the follow rich careless.

The biggest loser of the Evening, neither Sterling nor Ederson, but City's coach Pep Guardiola, who seemed to sink to Dembélés 3:1 in his coach's chair, however, was. "In this competition you have to play perfect," was the Catalan after the final whistle, and smiled almost apologetically into the camera. For the supposedly perfect appearance Guardiola had something Special and his team with a three-chain to the field sent. However, with the two defenders Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo on the outer tracks was missing from the Citizens in the first half of the offensive force. Although Manchester held as usual the Ball long in the ranks, so really dangerous Sterling, Jesus and co. appeared but rarely in the penalty area the Frenchman.

This is also Guardiola seemed to have recognized, because in the ten minutes after the break, he brought with Riyad Mahrez (56.) an offensive force for the Central defender Fernandinho, which City has since changed back to the usual four. "The Coach had a Plan, but we have not found so many options," said De Bruyne in the connection. Translated, this means: vercoacht.