Manchester City have succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Juventus in their Champions League Group D clash on Tuesday night, the Serie A side coming from behind to clinch all three points at the Etihad.
© Getty Images
The hosts were quickest off the starting blocks as Yaya Toure released the onrushing Raheem Sterling on the left of the box, but the ex-Liverpool winger fired straight at Gianluigi Buffon's feet.
Juve, however, had the ball in the back of the net just before the quarter-hour mark when Paul Pogbanodded home Juan Cuadrado's cross, but the goal was disallowed as Alvaro Morata was judged to be offside in the middle.
Hernanes was next to threaten for the visitors, his ferocious free kick from around 35 yards out sailing just inches wide of the left post.
Man City weathered the storm successfully and soon enjoyed a bright spell of their own with David Silvaand Sterling linking up well in the opposition's final third, with Fernandinho firing just over in the 23rd minute.
© Getty Images
Aleksandar Kolarov then came close from a free kick that curled just beyond the post, before the Old Lady countered through Morata's drive into the box followed up by an imprecise shot which sailed wide.
The action continued to flow past the half-hour mark as Wilfried Bony sliced through the Juve defence with a good touch but, from a promising position, blasted his effort high and wide of target.
Neither side was able to break the deadlock come the half-time whistle, but three minutes before the hourManuel Pellegrini's charges edged themselves into the lead as Giorgio Chiellini, under pressure fromVincent Kompany, headed into his own net from a corner.
Man City came within a whisker of doubling their advantage moments after the restart when Sterling's low curling effort was saved by Buffon, who also kept out Silva's rebound.
© Getty Images
They would rue that miss because, in the 70th minute, Juve struck back through Mario Mandzukic, who made the most of Pogba's pinpoint delivery to stroke the ball into the net, with the aid of a brush off the post.
City set about trying to get back in front thanks to some confident possession play, but nine minutes before the end they were caught out again as Morata found space on the edge of the box and curled an effort past Joe Hart for Juve's second.
There was more cause for concern for the Citizens when, in the 75th minute, Kompany had to be withdrawn with a calf injury, debutant Nicolas Otamendi coming on in his place.
An increasingly desperate home side nearly found joy two minutes from time when Toure picked up a pass and let rip from 25 metres out, but Buffon leapt into the air to fist the ball out of danger as Juve saw the game out and secured all three points.
Manchester City's Champions League campaign got off to a disappointing start with a home defeat by last season's runners-up Juventus.
City, who have struggled to make a serious impact in the Champions League and have never won their opening home game in the group stage, looked to be on course for victory when Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini headed into his own net under pressure from Vincent Kompany.
The Italians protested furiously that Chiellini had been fouled but then produced an impressive response to come from behind and close out the win.
Paul Pogba's superb ball allowed Mario Mandzukic to steal in behind Eliaquim Mangala for the equaliser, then Alvaro Morata pulled substitute Nicolas Otamendi - on for Kompany - out of position before curling a precise left-foot finish beyond City keeper Joe Hart for the 81st-minute winner.
Raheem Sterling had two big opportunities for City but wasted both as Manuel Pellegrini's side find themselves on the back foot once more in the Champions League.
Do Manchester City really believe?
Once again this was a night where City, dominant domestically with five wins out of five in the Premier League, still looked like they are struggling to convince themselves they belong in the exalted company of the Champions League.
Juventus' pedigree is clear - they reached last season's final - but they had not won a game all season until beating City, whose cast-iron confidence in the league looks to be somewhat stripped away here and opponents like the experienced Italians are only too happy to expose those flaws in self-belief.
This even seems to extend to City's fans, anxious throughout and streaming out in droves even before three minutes of stoppage time, clearly not convinced their team would rescue a point.
City missed striker Sergio Aguero, not fully fit after picking up an injury at Crystal Palace and restricted to a brief appearance as a substitute, and they have learned the hard way that chances do not come along as often in the Champions League as they do in the Premier League - and the price for not taking them is an expensive one.
There is still plenty of time to recover but City need to win games such as this if they are to finish top of the group and avoid the potentially hazardous last-16 draw.
Sterling still missing finishing touch
Sterling has made a big early impact following his £49m move to Manchester City from Liverpool - but one area of his game still needs some serious work.
The 20-year-old needs to improve his conversion rate when presented with chances and, before his substitution 20 minutes from time, he demonstrated once again that he must be more ruthless when applying that final flourish.
He wasted a perfect early chance when he shot straight at Juve keeper Gigi Buffon, then did the same again later after he was set up by David Silva with City leading 1-0. Yes, they were two pieces of fine goalkeeping but Sterling should have made at least one of those opportunities count.
Pogba shows his class
Pogba was football's most wanted in the summer. The 22-year-old was courted by all of Europe's top clubs, including Manchester City, but a £70m price tag plus the player's own demands made the deal too rich even for them.
The Frenchman made fleeting contributions here but, make no mistake, the player that Sir Alex Ferguson somehow allowed to escape from Manchester United's grasp in 2012 is a class act.
Tall, rangy and more more than willing to mix it in the physical challenges with Yaya Toure, Pogba has that touch of class that marks him out as a special talent.
He always looks for the positive pass, as he proved with the glorious ball in behind Mangala that allowed Mandzukic to equalise for Juventus.
Man of the match - Fernandinho
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (0) & SUBSTITUTIONS (5)
Manchester City
- 01 Hart
- 03 Sagna
- 04 Kompany (Otamendi - 75' )
- 20 Mangala
- 11 Kolarov
- 42 Y Touré
- 25 Fernandinho
- 08 Nasri (Agüero - 83' )
- 21 Silva
- 07 Sterling (De Bruyne - 71' )
- 14 Bony
Substitutes
- 06 Fernando
- 10 Agüero
- 13 Caballero
- 15 Jesús Navas
- 17 De Bruyne
- 26 Demichelis
- 30 Otamendi
Juventus
- 01 Buffon
- 26 Lichtsteiner
- 19 Bonucci
- 03 Chiellini
- 33 Evra
- 27 Sturaro
- 11 Hernanes
- 10 Pogba
- 16 Cuadrado
- 17 Mandzukic (Dybala - 78' )
- 09 Morata (Barzagli - 85' )
Substitutes
- 07 Zaza
- 12 Alex Sandro
- 15 Barzagli
- 18 Lemina
- 21 Dybala
- 25 Murara Neto
- 37 Pereyra
Ref: Damir Skomina
Att: 50,363
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário