After surprising everyone by winning the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Juventus back in February, Olympique Lyon was able to lose this game and still knock Juventus out of the competition. This means Lyon will face Manchester City to advance to the semi finals. The game will be played on August 15th, and both teams are hungry to advance.
Juventus – Lyon
When you look at the odds, the bookmakers gave Juventus the edge to win the match. Instead, the match started off in Lyon’s favor when Memphis Depay scored the penalty early in the game (12’). Just before the end of the first half Christiano Ronaldo responded by finishing a penalty himself. After entering halftime with a tied match, Ronaldo quickly took the lead with a magnificent score. This wasn’t enough for the Italian club, as they had to score once more to overcome the deficit in the aggregate score. In the end Lyon’s defense was too strong, earning them a spot in the quarter final.
Upcoming: Manchester City – Lyon
The last time these teams matched up against each other was all the way back in November 2018. For now, the big favorite is Manchester City, with an odd of 1.32 to win the game against the 12.00 odds for Lyon. That gives no reason to underestimate the Frenchmen. Last time they were underdogs they went on to beat Juventus 1-0, which eventually gave them the edge to get here in the first place. It will be a hard fought match to see who advances to the semi finals.
Looking ahead
As the knockout stages progress it is now becoming possible to think seriously about the overall title winner. Once the quarter finals have been played, either Manchester City or Lyon will have to play RB Leipzig or Atletico Madrid. With Atletico being only slightly favored, it is by no means clear who will advance.
Manchester City is the clear favorite for their tie with Lyon, and it has been said that City may not have a better chance of winning the Champions League for years. Because Bayern is underperforming this season, and Barcelona has some key injuries, the English side may have already faced their most challenging opponents. Lyon, however, have exceeded expectations by qualifying for the quarter-finals. This means they could be satisfied with the results they’ve booked already, but knowing they are competitive now with the best in the Champions League most likely add fuel to fire.
The odds for overall winner favor City slightly over Bayern, with Paris Saint-Germain not far behind. But we should not forget that there is still room for serious upsets. Either way, prepare for some of the world’s best football since the long awaited return after the COVID-19 break.
