In case you missed it, here are the highlights from Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League action.
Manchester City is alive, but just barely.
The English champions showed great resolve in coming from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw with visitors Ajax and keep alive their slim chances of advancing to the knockout round.
But the Blues were their own worst enemy, failing to properly mark Siem de Jong on a pair of corner kicks, and allowing the midfielder to bag a brace after just 17 minutes.
City remains bottom of Group D with two points, two behind Ajax and five behind second-place Real Madrid with a pair of matches to go. The Blues have to run the table by winning their remaining matches (at home to Real Madrid and away to Borussia Dortmund) in order to have any chance to move on the round of 16.
In reality, the Blues are destined to get kicked over to the Europa League, and even that is not a sure thing considering Ajax’s relatively strong form as of late in this competition.
And while City can feel somewhat aggrieved (Mario Balotelli was denied a penalty kick in stoppage time), the Blues were once again the authors of their downfall, a theme that has firmly emerged in this season’s tournament.
Roberto Mancini can talk all he wants about his team not being experienced enough in European competition. Obviously, that’s not the case (Yaya Toure has won the Champions League with Barcelona, lest we forget), and the Italian’s outlandish comments made in the build-up were nothing more than a way to deflect attention away from his players and direct them towards him.
And it’s worked, because Mancini’s managerial prowess is now being seriously questioned, and as well it should.
Manchester City’s owners have gone to great trouble and enormous expense to put together a team capable of challenging for the Champions League title, but the Blues have floundered thanks in large part to the Italian’s questionable tactics (starting with two holding midfielders) and even more questionable player selections (Matija Nastasic? Really?)
But the pressing issue here is Mancini’s and his team’s arrogance, typified by their surrounding of the referee after the final whistle to take him to task for the non-call on Balotelli. Instead of looking at themselves and taking responsibility for their short-comings on the day, the initial reaction was to blame the referee.
That’s why Manchester City is on the brink of elimination and is destined to bow out in disgrace for a second straight year.
– The last time Porto drew away from home in European competition was in April of 2009, a run of 16 games.
– Paris St Germain is unbeaten in their last 19 European home matches, with 12 wins and seven draws.
– Arsenal has kept just one clean sheet in their last 22 Champions League road matches.
– Olympiacos has not drawn any of its last 13 Champions League games (six wins and seven losses).
– Milan is now winless in their last six Champions League games at home against Spanish opponents (four draws and two losses).
– Zenit has won none of their last eight European games away from home (two draws and six losses).
– Manchester City has played 36 home games in European competition and has lost just once (25 wins and 10 draws).
– Real Madrid has kept just one clean sheet in their last ten Champions League games.
It has to be the 2-2 draw between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at the Bernabeu. This was a match contested between two teams littered with world-class stars, and played at a very entertaining pace. And Mesut Oezil’s 89th-minute goal off a free kick capped off a dramatic affair.
Who says Manchester City’s Yaya Toure is all strength and no skill? The Ivorian demonstrated great technical ability in scoring a fabulous goal against Ajax. Samir Nasri’s cross was headed away by Christian Poulsen, but the Dane’s clearing attempt fell to Toure, who adroitly controlled the ball with his chest and then swivelled as he volleyed home past goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer in the 22nd minute.
With Malaga and Milan tied 0-0 in the first half, Urby Emanuelson came very close to giving the rossoneri the lead in the 28th minute. After the Italians won a free kick, Emanuelson delivered a dangerous and curling free kick on net, but Wilfredo Caballero did very well to palm the Dutchman’s attempt past the post.
Italian soccer pundit Susy Campanale questions a second-half substitution made by AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri with his team trailing:
Boateng on for… El Shaarawy?! If San Siro could slap Allegri in the face right now, it would. — Susy Campanale (@SusyCampanale) November 6, 2012
Boateng on for… El Shaarawy?! If San Siro could slap Allegri in the face right now, it would.
— Susy Campanale (@SusyCampanale) November 6, 2012
What was AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri thinking when he subbed out Stephan El Shaarawy?
Why does Manchester City struggle to defend against corner kicks?
How much pressure is Arsene Wenger under after the Gunners’ latest capitulation?
How has Malaga managed to go four games and concede just one goal?
Is Schalke a legitimate threat to contend for the Champions League title?
1) Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Think Zlatan Ibrahimovic is just a goal scorer? Think again. The super Swede showed off his playmaking ability by setting up all of PSG’s goals in a 4-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb.
2) Siem de Jong: The Ajax midfielder scored off of two headers to give the Dutch side a shocking 2-0 lead over Manchester City after only 17 minutes.
3) Urby Emanuelson: The Dutch midfielder was an attacking force for AC Milan, coming very close to scoring a few times, and it was his corner kick that led to Pato’s equalizer.