how costly was raheem sterling miss vs lyon

Raheem Sterling’s miss was extremely costly because it came at a decisive moment in Manchester City’s 3-1 loss to Lyon, with City still in striking distance when he skied an open chance over the bar. Lyon then scored again almost immediately, turning what could have been a level game into a two-goal swing that effectively ended City’s Champions League run.

Why it mattered

Sterling had a clear chance with the goal open, and several reports described it as the kind of miss that can change a knockout tie. ESPN noted that City were left chasing the game after that miss, and CBS Sports described the sequence as a “two-goal swing in the span of seconds”.

Match impact

Manchester City were trailing 2-1 at the time of the miss, so an equalizer would have completely changed the pressure on Lyon. Instead, Moussa Dembélé scored again shortly after, making it 3-1 and sealing Lyon’s win.

How fans and pundits saw it

The miss was widely labeled one of the most important—and most painful—misses of the campaign. Pep Guardiola did not single Sterling out alone, but the moment became the defining talking point of the match.

Bottom line

It was costly enough that many match reports treated it as the turning point of the game: a likely equalizer missed, followed almost immediately by a Lyon goal that effectively finished the tie.