UEFA Champions League
MAN CITY HUNGRY BUT LYON WON’T BE EASY MEAT IN LAST-8 CLASH
Despite winning every domestic trophy since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008, the biggest slight on Manchester City has been their lack of European pedigree.
Aside from winning the now-defunct Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1970, the English Premier League side have never tasted success on the continent.
Even the injection of funds to become the world’s first billion-dollar football club has not helped City shed their underachieving tag in Europe, having only once reached the last four of the Champions League in 2016.
But there may be no better year than this for City to finally stamp their mark as three of the four semi-finalists will be seeking their maiden European Cup.
Admitting they need to win the trophy to truly establish themselves as European powerhouses, defender Kyle Walker told the club website: “If you had asked me two years ago when I signed here (from Tottenham), I would have probably said that the Premier League was the big one for me, having not won it before.
“Now I have collected two of them and a number of others and this (the Champions League) is the one that I want. I can probably speak on behalf of the whole squad and Manchester City as well for what they need to put them onto that next pedestal.”
Last Friday, Pep Guardiola’s men eliminated 13-time champions Real Madrid 4-2 on aggregate in the last 16 and are firm favourites heading into today’s quarter-final clash against Lyon.
Walker, though, has warned his side not to overlook the Ligue 1 team, who are brimming with confidence after knocking out Serie A champions Juventus on away goals.
“Lyon have got good players. Knocking out Juventus speaks volumes. You need to be a very good team, very disciplined to beat Juventus over two legs,” he said.
The England international has every reason to be cautious. In the previous competition, they played each other in the group stage and Lyon were unbeaten both times, winning 2-1 at the Etihad and drawing 2-2 at home.
The bulk of that Lyon side is still intact and while their days as France’s dominant team have become a distant memory since the 2011 Qatari takeover of Paris Saint-Germain, Rudi Garcia’s unheralded team should not be underestimated.
They were seventh when the Ligue 1 season ended with 10 rounds left in late April because of the coronavirus pandemic.
That means unless Garcia’s men can lift their first Champions League title, they will not be playing in Europe next term for the first time since the 1996-97 season, and that hunger to put things right is fuelling them.
Only once have Lyon made it beyond this stage – they lost to Bayern Munich in the 2010 semi-finals, but their French coach feels they are here on merit.
“We wanted to get to the ‘Final Eight’ in Lisbon and here we are,” said Garcia. “We are the outsiders now but that suits us.”
Their best player, as was the case two years ago, remains former Manchester United forward Memphis Depay, who has scored six goals in as many appearances in Europe this campaign, and sporting director Juninho Pernambucano believes the team “are ready to do great things”.
Beating City would fall into that category, and they have done that before.
AFP/Reuters
Galatasaray made the most of a litany of errors by Norwegian visitors Bodo/Glimt as they cruised to a 3-1 home win in the Champions League on Wednesday, with striker Victor Osimhen netting twice for the Turkish side in the first half.
UEFA Champions League – Galatasaray v Bodo/Glimt – RAMS Park, Istanbul, Turkey – October 22, 2025 Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Osimhen wasted no time giving the home side an early lead, sweeping a sumptuous first-time finish past Nikita Haikin in the third minute as the Norwegian side was quickly punished for giving the ball away cheaply in midfield.
Osimhen doubled his tally in the 33rd minute after another error. Under pressure as he ran infield, Bodo left-back Fredrik Bjorkan inexplicably passed the ball straight to Osimhen in a central position, and the forward gratefully tucked the ball away.
UEFA Champions League – Galatasaray v Bodo/Glimt – RAMS Park, Istanbul, Turkey – October 22, 2025 Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen in action REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Bodo created some decent chances of their own but were made to pay again on the hour mark as centre-back Haitam Aleesami was robbed just outside his penalty area by Osimhen, and Yunus Akgun was able to score at the second attempt to make it 3-0.
Osimhen had plenty of opportunities to complete his hat-trick but he was thwarted by keeper Haikin, and Bodo substitute Andreas Helmersen was able to head home a close-range consolation goal in the 76th minute as his side finished strongly.
With seven games kicking off later on Wednesday, the win leaves Galatasaray on six points from three games, while Bodo/Glimt have two points ahead of their home clash with Monaco of France in two weeks. Galatasaray are next away at Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam.
-Reuters
Victor Osimhen scores their second goal REUTERS/Umit Bektas
One of the few clouds hanging over Arsenal this season has been the lack of goals from the big-money centre forward Viktor Gyokeres but he erased some doubts with a timely return to form by scoring twice in a 4-0 defeat of Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Gyokeres, who Arsenal signed for 64 million pounds ($85.89 million) from Sporting, poached his side’s third and fourth goals to end a nine-game streak without netting for club and country.
The Swede was all smiles as he was substituted late on and manager Mikel Arteta said the 27-year-old fully deserved the ovation he received from the Arsenal fans.
“I think he deserved it because everything that we were seeing in terms of what he was bringing to the team and how much he was helping the team in many areas, apart from scoring goals in the last few weeks,” Arteta told reporters.
“There was no debate about that. It was about keeping that belief in himself, that emotional state that he can enjoy and play freely. I look at his teammates as well, in the picture and the video, they are all so happy for him.”
His opening goal was a messy affair as his weak shot dribbled into the net via a deflection while his second came from yet another Arsenal set piece with Gabriel heading a corner into the path of the Sweden international.
“He makes us a much better team. I think we’ve become much more unpredictable. He’s so physical, the way he presses the ball, holds the ball, that’s phenomenal,” Arteta said.
“He’s scored two very different ones today, and hopefully he starts to get some momentum and a good run of goals.”
Gyokeres now has five for the season, including three in the Premier League, and was clearly relieved to be back on target.
“(It’s reward) for the team, but of course, me as well,” he said of the win that maintained Arsenal’s 100% start in the Champions League. “I do my best all the time, work hard and contribute with different stuff. It’ll come sooner or later.”
-Reuters
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Arsenal thrashed Atletico Madrid 4-0 thanks to a devastating second-half broadside at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday to secure a third successive Champions League victory.
What had been a compelling contest with little between the sides became an Arsenal rout with goals by Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and a brace from Viktor Gyokeres leaving Diego Simeone’s side shell-shocked.
Shortly after Julian Alvarez hit the crossbar for the visitors, Arsenal defender Gabriel broke the deadlock by heading in a Declan Rice free kick in the 57th minute.
Martinelli finished off a sweeping move seven minutes later and Gyokeres prodded in his first goal of the night via a deflection as Arsenal ran riot, the Swede ending a nine-game scoring drought for club and country.
Gyokeres bundled in his second as Atletico were again unable to deal with a set piece.
Victory extended Arsenal’s unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions and put them on nine points in the group phase, after three wins without conceding a goal, well on the way to qualifying for the knockout stages.
Atletico, on three points, will have to dust themselves down after their six-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to a juddering halt.
“It was a tough match. After the goal they opened up a bit and it was a little easier for us to find the spaces. Very happy with the result,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said.
“At this level in the Champions League you really need to step up and we certainly did that in every phase of the play.”
Simeone, who also tasted defeat in Liverpool last month, said his side had been punished for individual errors.
“It’s not down to bad luck, it’s down to mistakes,” the Argentine told reporters. “They made the most of our mistakes and all their big chances turned into goals.”
BRIMMING WITH CONFIDENCE
Brimming with confidence after climbing to the top of the Premier League, Arsenal began strongly and almost took the lead when Eberechi Eze’s shot deflected off David Hancko and hit the crossbar with Rice bouncing the rebound over the bar.
Myles Lewis-Skelly dragged a shot wide and Bukayo Saka was denied by a block from Atletico keeper Jan Oblak.
The visitors weathered the storm, though, and were almost gifted a goal when Arsenal keeper David Raya was caught in possession well out of his area and Alvarez had the goal at his mercy but placed his shot agonisingly wide from an angle.
When Alvarez curled a superb effort against Arsenal’s crossbar soon after the restart the outcome was very much in the balance but Atletico then caved in.
Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover would have been purring at the goal that opened the floodgates.
The threat of the Rice-Gabriel combination is hardly a secret but Atletico’s defence seemed transfixed as Rice’s curling free kick delivery was met by the Brazilian who had ghosted clear to glance a header past Oblak.
With Atletico stunned, Arsenal went for the kill and Lewis-Skelly slid in Martinelli to side-foot past Oblak, meaning he has scored in every Champions League game this season.
Gyokeres then got in on the act with two goals that were hardly masterpieces — but will have done him the power of good after a barren spell since his big-money move from Sporting.
“We value a lot of things that he does for the team and it was the biggest smile on his face today,” Arteta said.
“Hopefully this is the start of some beautiful sequences.”
-Reuters
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