UEFA Champions League 2018-19: 5 talking points from Matchday 1 (Groups E-H)

3. Premier League champions Manchester City lose at home to Lyon

Manchester City v Olympique Lyonnais - Nabil Fekir produced a sublime performance

The favourites to win the competition this season, Manchester City started their campaign against Lyon at the Etihad. The French side Lyon had come third in the Ligue 1 to force their way back in the Champions League this season. City were expected to see off their opponents and register a comfortable win against an already struggling Lyon side this season. But Bruno Genesio and his men had other things in mind.

Lyon started the match with a more defensive-minded approach with Dembele and Traore both on the bench while Depay and Fekir were the main attacking options. Pep Guardiola was watching from the stands, due to his involvement in a substitution against Liverpool last season when he was not supposed to communicate.

Lyon started positively in the midfield with Fekir being the main architect of the two goals they scored subsequently. First, in the 26th minute Maxwell Cornet scored off a Fekir assist while in the 43rd minute, Depay acted as provider for Fekir himself.

The first half ended 2-0 in Lyon's favor unexpectedly but the question was whether they could hold off City's wide array of attacking players. In the second half, assistant coach, Mikel Arteta introduced Leroy Sane, Aguero and Mahrez. Bernardo Silva did make the most of this combining with Sane to score in the 67th minute to pull one back for City.

Lyon, having won only one of their eight Champions League matches against English teams, won only for the second time as Sane and Mahrez could not do enough to level the scoreline. Guardiola, Arteta and the City squad will have to re-evaluate themselves as they have to navigate not only through a tough Premier League this season, but also make it to the knockout stages of the Champions League.