The list of Pep Guardiola exits from the Champions League grows increasingly long and increasingly bizarre. Lyon, which had finished seventh in Ligue 1 and had played two competitive games since, had seemed like a minor hurdle before the real business of a semifinal against Bayern Munich. Yet Man City ended up well-beaten on Sunday, falling 3-1, with all the old flaws exposed, and some fresh ones added as well. Once again, it has failed to reach the Champions League semifinals under Guardiola.
There was evidence against Real Madrid in the last round, particularly in the first leg, of a (relatively) more conservative approach and that willingness to try to stifle an opponent was apparent again as Guardiola opted to mirror Lyon’s shape.