- Lyon takes 5 of 6 pts from City
- City clinches knockout round spot
- Laporte, Aguero score equalizers
Aymeric Laporte and Sergio Aguero each scored as Manchester City overcame a pair of Maxwel Cornet goals to reach the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds with a 2-2 draw at Lyon on Tuesday.
City will host Hoffenheim in the final group stage match, but will likely show a second-choice side as the match in sandwiched between Premier League encounters against Chelsea and Everton.
[ MORE: Champions League standings ]
Lyon had two big early chances, the more alarming when Maxwel Cornet’s faulty first touch while unmarked atop the six allowed Aymeric Laporte to block his shot for a corner.
Cornet hit the frame in the 43rd minute with a bounding scissor kick. Man City came through with a good chance just before halftime, as Anthony Lopes stretched to collect Riyad Mahrez’s low effort.
[ MORE: Full lineups, stats, box score ]
Cornet made amends for his early miss with a thriller of a finish in the 55th minute, giving Lyon a deserved advantage.
A quick restart put memphis Memphis Depay atop the 18, and his cross to the other side of the box was settled by Cornet. His long distance shot to a slight turn around a flying Ederson to make it 1-0.
Sergio Aguero saw a 58th minute header saved by Lopes as City found a moment, and Laporte got his equalizer when David Silva passed the ball across goal. The header was far from simple, as Laporte craned his neck to power a header past Lopes.
The Lyon goalkeeper nearly spilled a rebound over the line within a minute, but it remained 1-1.
But Cornet did it again, shouldering off Laporte to beat Ederson off a terrific through ball.
That’s when Man City answered a second time, with Aguero’s remarkable header off a Mahrez corner kick leaving Lopes out to dry.