Arsenal’s pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes dominated the football headlines back in January.
The relatively unknown Brazilian midfielder had impressed in South America with Athletico Paranaense, and rumours of a move to North London got many Arsenal fans excited.
But after reports emerged of Arsenal wanting to wait until the summer transfer window to secure a deal, Lyon swooped to sign the 22-year-old for £16.9m.
One of the caveats of signing a player from South America is that leagues here and there can often vary in terms of pace and physicality.
In that respect, a move to Ligue 1 was probably a more attractive proposition for Bruno as he acclimatised to European football. And his performance against Manchester City in the quarter-final of the Champions League showed just what Arsenal missed out on.
Pep Guardiola’s tactical changes to match up against Rudi Garcia’s Lyon may have grabbed the headlines, but the Ligue 1 side thoroughly deserved to win the tie, and Bruno was at the heart of their perfectly executed game plan.
Lyon’s use of a 3-5-2 formation meant Karl Toko Ekambi and Memphis Depay created some familiar problems for City’s vulnerable defence. Yet the most impressive aspect of Lyon’s performance came through the likes of Bruno and Houssem Aouar, who provided a fine balance between defence and attack.
For Bruno, he played as the deepest midfielder in a holding role that required an awareness of the attacking threats around him while also being able to progress the ball forwards when needed.
On the defensive side, he added vital structure to Lyon’s midfield and often blocked passing lanes into Gabriel Jesus or Raheem Sterling, who occupied dangerous attacking areas.
The usual potency of City’s attacking line-up means it is crucial to have discipline when out of possession against them, and Bruno was adept at ensuring that happened for Lyon.
In the below passage, via the website Wyscout, we see how valuable his involvement was, not only in terms of winning the back possession but also by buying his team some time by winning a foul.
First, he remains at the centre of Lyon’s compact midfield which looks to force City wider with their full-backs.
(Image: Wyscout)
Then, City’s efforts to move the ball further wide and use the run of Kevin De Bruyne are stopped by Bruno, who blocks Riyad Mahrez’s possible pass and instead forces him further inside.
(Image: Wyscout)
Bruno is then able to shrug off the threat of Mahrez and subsequently win possession back for his side.
(Image: Wyscout)
That illustrates just how valuable the young Brazilian was for Garcia’s side on Saturday night in preventing any real penetration from City’s midfielders or forwards.
Such a performance from Bruno and Aouar, too, indicated how midfielders can provide good defensive support while also being progressive with passing and ball-carrying.
Bruno’s display against City may have illustrated how Arsenal missed a trick in January, but so did many other top European clubs, who let Lyon swoop on another exciting talent while they dithered.
The midfielder may well prove his worth again against Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening as Lyon eye a first ever Champions League final.
