Chapter 707: Remember this Name

Claude Puel spent nearly his entire professional career and later coaching career at Monaco.

He took over at Lille in 2002, and at one point led the team to a runner-up finish in Ligue 1, nearly disrupting Lyon's dominance during their five consecutive league titles.

So, in 2008, Lyon brought him in.

But at Lyon, Puel failed to replicate the impressive performances he'd had at Monaco and Lille.

Sometimes, managers are like that. Those who excel with small or mid-sized clubs might not do well with big teams.

Puel prefers the 4-2-3-1 formation.

Everyone knows it's a sophisticated and well-known tactical setup—very stable, but it demands a lot from the center forward and the number 10.

Today's Lyon can be described as a team full of talent.

Goalkeeper: Lloris.

Defense: Aly Cissokho, Cris, Lovren, and Réveillère.

Midfield: Turan and Källström as the double pivot, with Bastos, Gourcuff, and Delgado ahead.

Striker: Gomis.

This season, Pjanić has been Lyon's main playmaker. But facing a strong Manchester City team that topped their group, Puel dared not be careless and opted for a double defensive midfield.

Gourcuff was a star signing for nearly €20 million, so Puel benched Pjanić and started Gourcuff instead.

Even at home, Puel didn't dare play both of them, fearing the midfield wouldn't be able to hold against Manchester City.

But at the Gerland Stadium, Gao Shen launched an aggressive and relentless attack right from the opening whistle.

The interesting thing about the Champions League knockout stages is the away goals rule, which encourages the visiting team to go all out for goals, while the home side often becomes more cautious.

Gao Shen's attack wasn't reckless. He targeted Gourcuff.

The French midfielder, nicknamed "Little Zidane," even plays a similar style. That might have worked in the early 2000s, but now the pace of the game is too fast.

So, Manchester City opened the match with speed versus slow, quickly earning a throw-in on their first attack past the halfway line.

…

Gao Shen stood in front of the visiting team's dugout. When he saw Gareth Bale forced out of bounds while receiving the ball, he immediately signaled nearby players to come closer and press.

"Luis!" Gao Shen shouted, waving at Suárez to come over.

Felipe quickly ran to the sideline, controlled the ball with his foot, and wiped it clean on his jersey.

Before kick-off, Lyon had heavily watered the pitch, knowing Manchester City excel at short passing and ball control.

Gareth Bale sprinted over and used his body to shield Lyon's right-back Réveillère.

You had to admire the Welshman's physical strength. Just standing there leaning back was enough to make Réveillère unable to get around or intervene.

Felipe immediately threw in the ball, aiming at the ground to make it easier for Bale to control.

The ball bounced in front of Gareth Bale, who then lobbed it backward, attempting to find Suárez.

Lyon's center-back Cris reacted quickly, retreating and tracking the ball's trajectory. Suárez charged in right after.

Cris had the better position, forcing Suárez to chase from behind. But as Cris prepared to jump, Suárez still leapt forward recklessly, without regard for his own safety.

This seriously disrupted Cris's header.

The ball didn't travel far and landed in Lyon's half.

Gourcuff rushed over to control it, but David Silva was already pressing him the moment he tried to bring it down.

Not only Silva—Manchester City had tilted their entire defensive shape to the left following Gao Shen's earlier instructions. Rakitic was now on the other side of Gourcuff, and the two midfielders executed a double-team press.

It's hard to say who touched the ball first, but all three fought for it.

Before Gourcuff could secure possession, the ball was stolen.

Rakitic won the ball, took a step forward, and before Turan could close in, he quickly passed it back to David Silva.

The Spanish playmaker showed superb skill and composure, dribbling past Källström near the top of the box, then playing a sharp through ball.

Suárez cut in from the left, got to the ball ahead of Cris, dribbled inside, bypassed Lovren, and struck with his right foot from just inside the penalty spot, smashing the ball into Lyon's net.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

"Oh my God! Less than a minute into the match. Technically, just 53 seconds!"

"Manchester City strike first through Suárez!"

"One to nil!"

"Unbelievable pace!"

"This might be the fastest goal in the Champions League this season!"

"Manchester City tore through Lyon's defense on their first attack!"

The broadcast replay began, but not from Felipe's throw-in. Instead, it showed Gao Shen waving toward the left flank, urging his players to press.

"As we can see, Gao Shen's on-the-spot command was absolutely critical here."

"Manchester City quickly gained the upper hand on the left, and Gao Shen's tactical tweak played a key role."

"The link-up between Suárez, David Silva, and Rakitic was also perfectly in sync."

"Less than a minute in, Manchester City had already broken Lyon's defense, completely disrupting Puel's tactical setup."

Puel had said before the match that avoiding conceding an away goal would be crucial over two legs.

That's why he started Källström instead of Pjanić.

But in the end, they conceded in under a minute.

"After the goal, Manchester City's players were visibly fired up, but Gao Shen remained calm, as if he had expected it all along."

"You have to admit, that's the demeanor and composure of a top-class coach."

…

After conceding early in the first half, Manchester City kept up their relentless pressure.

But Lyon stuck to their defensive strategy.

Puel even had his team fall back deep, trying to resist Manchester City with a compact defensive counterattack setup.

As a result, Lyon were pinned back for extended stretches and had no way out.

It wasn't until the 28th minute that Lyon registered their first shot—a long-range effort from Turan, 30 meters out.

That alone showed how passive the home side was.

However, Lyon's defense held together well. Aside from the early blunder after kickoff, they performed solidly. Their midfield and forward pressing barely held off Manchester City, and thanks to some outstanding saves from Lloris, City couldn't score again.

This reflects a growing trend in European football in recent seasons.

Take Lovren at Lyon, for example. He's excellent at playing out from the back. Under pressure from Manchester City's high press, he showed composure and poise in handling the ball, leaving a deep impression on Gao Shen.

This same Lovren would move to Southampton a few years later, then to Liverpool, and even start in a World Cup final for Croatia with a standout performance.

Holding a one-goal lead and an away goal, Gao Shen's mentality became even calmer.

After watching Lovren play the ball forward while under pressure from Suárez, Gao Shen turned back toward the dugout, asked for a bottle of water, and quietly reminded Lucas.

"Keep an eye on that number five, Lovren. I want a full scouting report on him later."

Lucas was momentarily stunned. He looked at his boss, then at Lovren on the pitch. The kid wasn't very well-known.

But last summer, Lyon had paid €8 million to bring him in from Croatia.

Given Lyon president Aulas's famously tight-fisted approach, they wouldn't spend that kind of money on just anyone.

Thinking of that, Lucas nodded and silently made a mental note of the name.

…

The first half ended with Manchester City leading 1-0.

In the second half, Manchester City resumed their attack, looking to completely crush Lyon.

The Ligue 1 side had no answer for the aggressive English visitors and were forced to bunker down.

Still, City kept carving out chances.

In the 49th minute, Bastos pulled Robben down from behind and received a yellow card. City earned a dangerous free kick.

Gareth Bale struck a brilliant shot, but it clanged off the left post.

The crowd at the Gerland Stadium let out a collective gasp.

Had Manchester City scored again, the tie might've already been over.

But just a minute later, Manchester City came again.

Robben dribbled across the right flank, drawing defenders in, before laying it off for Rakitic, who then lofted a through ball over the top.

Lichtsteiner charged in from deep on the right and whipped in a low cross.

Suárez darted between the two central defenders, Lovren and Cris, and met the cross with a close-range header, but it hit the crossbar and bounced out.

Two consecutive attacks denied by the woodwork.

Even Gao Shen on the touchline slapped his forehead in frustration.

Lyon then tried to hit back, but in the 63rd minute, Robben won another free kick near the right edge of the penalty area.

It was almost the same spot as the earlier one.

Bale stepped up again. While defending, Gourcuff clearly raised his arm and blocked the ball. It was inside the box and clearly handball, even if unintentional. The referee pointed to the spot.

Bale converted the penalty, extending Manchester City's lead to 2-0!

After that, both teams had chances. Lyon brought on Pjanić and tried to be more proactive in attack. In the 77th minute, they earned a set piece. Lovren won the header, and Gomis followed up to score from the far post.

But just before the final whistle, Gareth Bale sent a long diagonal ball from the left to the right side of the penalty area.

Robben brought it down, cut inside, beat the defender, and fired with his left foot, beating the keeper again.

3-1, Manchester City win away at Lyon!

(To be continued.)

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