Man City in knockout stage, play 2-2 draw with Lyon

Manchester City needed a goal from Sergio Agüero in the final 10 minutes to secure a 2-2 draw with Olympique Lyon and punch their ticket for the Champions League knockout stage.

With one match to go in the group stage, City are atop Group F with 10 points, followed by Lyon (7), Shakhtar Donetsk (5) and Hoffenheim (3), reports Efe news.

The reigning Premier League champions did not have an easy time against Lyon on Tuesday, the only team to have defeated the Cityzens in any competition this season.

Indeed, the hosts could have led 3-0 at the half but for their dismaying inability to finish.

An unmarked Memphis Depay missed an empty net from close range in the 13th minute before Maxwel Cornet flubbed a great chance.

Cornet fell short again in the final two minutes before the break, hitting the cross-bar.

Lyon remained on the front foot in the second half and Cornet made up for his earlier failures by putting the hosts up 1-0 in the 54th minute with a magnificent strike.

Roused to action, City pressed forward and it took a good save by Lyon keeper Anthony Lopes to deny Agüero from point-blank range, though he could do nothing to stop Aymeric Laporte from levelling the contest on a set piece in the 64th minute.

Lopes had to be sharp moments later to stop Leroy Sane from giving Man City the lead and his heroics inspired Lyon, who pulled ahead 2-1 in the 80th minute on Cornet's second of the night.

The euphoria was short-lived, however, as Agüero headed in a corner kick two minutes later to secure the point for Manchester City.

--IANS

gau/mr