‘Look at the facials!’: Jamie Carragher left horror-struck as Raheem Sterling misses open goal in Champions League quarter-final defeat to Lyon as Man City suffer more European failure
- Jamie Carragher was watching on from the studio as Man City faced Lyon
- The French side entered the Champions League quarter-final as huge underdogs
- Raheem Sterling had chance to equalise late on and force extra-time
- Sterling missed an open goal and Carragher and Micah Richards were breathless
Pundits Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards were left breathless and in shock as Raheem Sterling missed a glaring open goal in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Carragher and Richards were watching on from the CBS studio when, in the dying moments of the tie, it appeared a formality that City were about to score a late equaliser.
With 85 minutes on the clock and City trailing 2-1 to Lyon, the Premier League side worked the ball into the area and squared it across the goalkeeper to an open Sterling at the back post.
Pundits Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards watched on, gripped, as Raheem Sterling had a late chance to make the game 2-2, with Richards bursting into premature celebration (right)
The shock soon set in, as both former pros realised exactly what Sterling had done
The Manchester City ace had an open goal to aim at, but put the ball over the crossbar
Footage has emerged showing Carragher and Richards watching on from the edges of their seats, before exploding into wild celebration as Sterling took his shot.
Seconds before the incident, Carragher could be heard chanting ‘don’t foul him, don’t foul him!’ as a City player looked set to be hacked down in the area.
But instead the pass was delivered and Sterling appeared seconds from scoring the crucial goal… only to see the ball sail over the crossbar.
Former City player Richards could be seen prematurely celebrating, clenching both fists and screaming into the camera.
Carragher was all set to join him, before realising what Sterling had done and instead letting out high-pitched scream of disbelief.
Sterling couldn’t believe what had happened, and moments later Lyon scored a third goal
Carragher set back, wide-eyed and with hands on his head after witnessing the miss
The ex-Liverpool star then sat back with his hands on his head, wide-eyed, trying to make sense of what he had just seen, as all those around him in the studio broke into laughter at his reaction.
Sterling’s miss was soon compounded into the ultimate agony for City, as Lyon rapidly made up to the other end of the field and scored the tie-killing third goal.
The defeat represents yet another failed European run for City, who have yet to feature in a Champions League semi-final stage.
Following the tie, manager Pep Guardiola simply insisted: ‘the show must go on.
‘I’m not able with these incredible guys to break this line and reach the quarter-finals. Three years in a row in that position we are out.
‘What these guys have done, they deserve to go through and go to the semi-finals but we are not able to. Life is how you stand up again and next season we’re going to try again.’
Lyon will now meet Bayern Munich in the semi-final, while in the other match fellow French side PSG go up against RB Leipzig.