Juventus 2-1 Lyon (2-2 aggregate): 5 Hits and Flops as Bianconeri suffer shock elimination on away goals | UCL 2019-20
After Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus overturned Atletico Madrid's aggregate win during last year's Champions League, many Bianconeri fans were clearly hoping they would be treated to a similar occasion this time.
However, it was not to be, as Lyon stood strong and snuck into the quarter-finals on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate scoreline. Juventus won the game 2-1 but were unable to seal qualification, as their European adventure ended prematurely once again.
The game started with Juventus quickly in control and the first few minutes saw more action in Lyon's end. However, much of it didn't come near the net. Lyon, on the other hand, finally took control of the ball and picked up a strong first chance that Wojciech Szczesny was forced to save.
The first goal came for the away side after a lengthy VAR check was done to see if Juventus' Federico Bernardeschi had fouled Houssem Aouar in the penalty box. The penalty was given, much to the chagrin of the home team. Memphis Depay calmly converted the spot-kick with a sweet panenka, putting Lyon two goals up on aggregate.
Juventus fought back to score, but that took much of the first half as they were unable to unsettle a strong Lyon defence. Their luck came eventually when Miralem Pjanic's shot was blocked by Memphis Depay's arm.
While his arm was close to his body, the ref pointed to the spot. It was Cristiano Ronaldo who scored penalty, drawing Juventus level and bringing the aggregate score to 2-1 in Lyon's favour.
Sitting deep through much of the second half, Lyon seemed intent on winning the game with strong defensive output. However, a strong Juventini attacking trio almost saw them lose their aggregate lead when Cristiano Ronaldo scored his second goal of the game on the hour.
It was a good finish from the edge of the box that saw Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes unable to reach the ball with more than a touch. This saw Juventus match up to Lyon 2-2 on aggregate, but Lyon already had the advantage on away goals.
The pressure only intensified for visitors as Juventus mounted major attacks in quick succession in a bid to score one more goal. Surprisingly, the French underdogs stood firm and unshaken as Juventus struggled to get their chances converted into goals.
With a barely clinical Juventus side unable to put one more beyond Lopes, the game ended in Lyon's favour and sent Juventus crashing out of the Champions League.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five hits and flops from the game.
#5 Hit - Cristiano Ronaldo
For someone who is known for single-handedly changing the outcome of an event, Ronaldo might not have reached the expectations of Juventus fans. However, his brace (and the fact that he did win Juve the game last night) shows that the 35-year-old is still at the peak of his career.
Ronaldo's below-par performance when it came to putting his chances on target will no doubt have frustrated his colleagues, but he played a good game overall, threatened Lyon countless times, and spearheaded the attack successfully.
#4 Flop - Karl Toko Ekambi
While Lyon have progressed to the next stage, they seemingly did it with only ten players, as Ekambi's presence was almost unnoticed throughout the 66 minutes he spent on the pitch.
Unable to get a single shot on goal, the 27-year-old managed only 11 passes in the game and touched the ball just 14 times (two less than the substitute who came on for him.
He didn't fall back and help in the defence either. Apart from winning two headers, he did nothing noteworthy throughout the game.