Barcelona held in Champions League at Lyon after failing to take chances

Barcelona were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw at Lyon in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday as both sides remained undefeated in this season’s competition.

The La Liga leaders dominated the match at the Groupama Stadium but lacked accuracy up front and were grateful to their goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, who made two great saves.

Lyon were lively in the first half after the coach, Bruno Genesio, sprung a surprise by fielding Martin Terrier on the left wing instead of Maxwell Cornet – and the 21-year-old did not disappoint. However the side ran out of steam after the break and were holding on in the closing stages as Lionel Messi tried in vain to open up the home defence. The second leg will be at the Camp Nou on 13 March.

Barcelona had dominated the possession early on, but Lyon had the first two shots on target and it took a couple of superb saves from Ter Stegen to deny the hosts.


Photograph: Chesnot/Getty Images Europe

He stretched to his left to parry a vicious low shot by Hassem Aouar in the fifth minute before making a one-handed save to tip a 25-yard Terrier strike on to his crossbar.

Ousmane Dembélé came close in the 19th minute when the Barcelona forward dribbled past Leo Dubois on the left flank, only for Anthony Lopes in the Lyon goal to deny him in a one-on-one.

The visitors had the upper hand with 25 attempts but were uncharacteristically wasteful with only five on target as they spurned several counterattacking opportunities.

A Dembélé attempt shaved Lopes’s post before Terrier skied a shot over the bar after a superb series of one-twos tore the Barça defence apart as both sides tried to break the deadlock.

Lyon were under siege early in the second period but their defence was perfectly marshalled by Jason Denayer, with Dubois also proving decisive against Luis Suárez.

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Lopes beat Messi’s angled shot away to keep his side level before Dembélé was replaced by Philippe Coutinho, who had a clear chance in the 76th minute but was denied by the in-form Lopes.

Barça have now failed to win any of their last six away games in the Champions League knockout stage, with their last victory coming at Arsenal in February 2016.

source: theguardian.com