Led 2-0 then reduced to ten, before leading 4-2 during the extension, Olympique Lyonnais was beaten, and therefore eliminated, on the return by Manchester United (4-5), Thursday, after a lunar meeting.
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France Télévisions – Sport writing
Published 17/04/2025 24:44 Updated the 18/04/2025 00:22 Reading time: 3min
The theater of dreams sounded the end of that of Olympique Lyonnais in the Europa League. At the time of challenging Manchester United, Thursday, April 17, in the quarter-final return, OL had all its chances after the draw snatched at the end of the first leg (2-2). And, although led 2-0 at the break, the Gones touched the feat of the fingertips, equalizing in the last quarter of an hour, before leading 4-2 during the overtime.
Yet reduced to ten since the 88th minute and the expulsion of Corentin Tolisso, the Lyonnais then thought of holding their qualification in the semi-finals, after a crazy evening. But this quarter-final switched to the irrational when Manchester United, in turn, spilled the steam by scoring three goals in the last ten minutes to win 5-4. As crazy as it may seem: Lyon, which led 4-3 to the 119th minute of play, is eliminated at the gates of the last square.
It is not an exaggeration to write it: this match, the supporters of Lyon, of Manchester United, but also all the others will remember many years. Because the two teams offered an incredible spectacle, constantly referring to the emotional elevator for 120 minutes out of time. Plusted by his defensive errors, Lyon had however started his meeting upside down, and returned to the locker room logically led by two goals by Manchester United (0-2, 45th).
It was then necessary to be damn optimistic to think that OL still had a say in this quarter -final return. And yet: at the end of regulation time, the Lyonnais had filled their delay thanks to two world champions: the French Corentin Tolisso (1-2, 71st), and the Argentinian Nicolas Tagliafico (2-2, 78th). The extension was looming for OL: a small miracle. Especially since the Gones then lost Corentin Tolisso, expelled for a second yellow card (88th).
However, it is the Lyon of Paulo Fonseca who, while he was hugging, took control on a counter concluded by Rayan Cherki (3-2, 103rd). A few moments later, when Alexandre Lacazette transformed a penalty (4-2, 110th), it was the turn of Manchester United supporters to pay in fatalism. Ten against eleven, Lyon led 4-2, against the Red Devils, to Old Trafford, in the quarter-final of the Europa League. For Lyonnais, the Théâtre des Rêves will never have brought its name as well as to this precise moment.
Except that this awakening dream turned into a nightmare in less than ten minutes, at the end of this lunar extension. Bruno Fernandes rekindled the flame, also on penalty (4-3, 114th), then Kobbie Mainoo tipped the evening into pure madness, equalizing in the 120th minute (4-4). The craziest, however, remained to come.
Because while everyone was preparing for a penalty shootout, Harry Maguire arose a minute later to place the fatal whim at OL (4-5, 121st). The epilogue of a legendary quarter of final, and the European epic of Lyon this season. In the semi-finals, Manchester United will challenge Athletic Bilbao, whose San Mamès stadium will host the grand finale on May 21. The other meeting will oppose Tottenham to Bodo/Glimt.
