Champions League: Manchester City, Lyon advance to quarterfinals

Aug. 7 (UPI) — Manchester City and Lyon advanced to the final eight of the Champions League with aggregate wins Friday, nearly five months after the first leg.

Manchester City moved into the quarterfinals 4-2 on aggregate after a 2-1 home win over Real Madrid. City earned a similar 2-1 victory over Madrid at the Bernabeu back in February prior to the coronavirus pandemic shutting down sports across the globe.

Raheem Sterling gave Manchester City a quick 1-0 lead in the ninth minute after a turnover by Madrid inside their own box. Raphael Varane received a pass inside his own area from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, but City’s Gabriel Jesus quickly stole possession and slipped the ball to Sterling, who easily chipped it into the net.

Real Madrid star Karim Benzema tied the match with a header near the half-hour mark. After another defensive error by Varane, Jesus flicked a shot past Courtois to push City into the final eight.

Varane became the ninth player in UCL knockout history with two errors leading to a goal in the same game over the last 10 seasons.

Jesus notched his first match with a goal and an assist in Champions League play — a span of 22 games.

Meanwhile, Lyon advanced to the quarterfinals 2-2 on aggregate, punching their ticket to the final eight on away goals.

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo’s two goals gave his side a 2-1 win over Lyon on Friday, but it wasn’t enough to push the Serie A club into the next round of the tournament. Lyon beat Juventus 1-0 in France prior to the coronavirus shutdown.

Memphis Depay scored on a penalty shot in the 13th minute to provide Lyon with the vital away goal at Juventus Stadium to secure passage into the quarterfinals.

Ronaldo finished the campaign with the most goals in a single season for Juventus with 37. He surpassed Ferenc Hizrez’s 35-goal tally — a record that stood for 95 years.

It’s the first time since 2015-16 that Juve failed to reach the quarterfinals. The last time Ronaldo didn’t advance to that stage of the Champions League was in his first season with Read Madrid during the 2009-10 campaign.

Friday’s results mean Lyon will play Manchester City in the quarterfinals.