Josh Thomas, Goal.com

16 August, 2020 18:43

Champions League semi-finals: ends 24 year domination of English and Spanish sides

For the first time since 1996, no English or Spanish sides will compete in this year's edition of the Champions League semi-finals.

Manchester City's shock 3-1 defeat against Lyon on Saturday night means two clubs from France and Germany respectively are left alive in the competition this season.

Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig join Lyon as the other surprise packets in the final four after they beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 earlier in the week.

Barcelona, Spain's last remaining hope in the Champions League, were themselves sent packing from the competition in humiliating fashion on Friday night as Bayern Munich claimed an 8-2 victory in their quarter-final.

With only French and German teams left standing, this is the first time since 2013 that just two nations are being represented at the semi-final stage of the Champions League.

Paris Saint-Germain will face Leipzig in the first final-four showdown on Tuesday before Bayern tackle Lyon on Wednesday.

Lyon's impressive run to the semi-finals has seen them knockout Serie A champions Juventus and now City after they only just managed to escape their group courtesy of a 2-2 draw against Leipzig that secured them second spot.

Rudi Garcia is the first French manager to guide a French team to the Champions League semi-finals since 2010 when Claude Puel did the same with Lyon.

"Proud of my troops, proud of my players. We believed in us, that we could achieve this feat. We conceded only one goal and that is due to the team spirit of the group," Garcia said after the City win.

"With Pep [Guardiola], you have to expect anything. We knew he could find something to destabilise us, but we can say we won the tactical battle.

"After Leipzig [their group clash], we mainly wanted to be in the round of 16 and that's what we had achieved. If we show the right mindset, we can do something against Bayern."

Lyon finished seventh in Ligue 1 this season, winning just 11 of their 28 league games before the campaign was ended early due to the coronavirus pandemic. PSG, who were handed the title, managed to accumulate 28 more points than Lyon across their 27 matches.

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