It's the Joe and Mario show
By Dave Walker
A superlative showing from Joe Hart and a
sting in the tail from Mario Balotelli kept Manchester City alive in the Group
of Death as Borussia Dortmund swarmed all over them in the Champions League.
Three elements emerged from a lopsided
contest at the Etihad Stadium; Hart is the best goalkeeper in the world,
there’s no better penalty taker on the planet than Balotelli and, sadly, City
are nowhere near ready to being acclaimed as Europe’s top club side.
A worrying sense of déjà vu is beginning to
envelop City’s CL aspirations as a mirror image of last year’s valiant, but
ultimately doomed, campaign unravels.
City have one point after two matches and
back-to-back fixtures coming up against the supposed weakest team, Ajax -
whereas it was Villarreal in 2011 – before Real Madrid and, what could be a
decider away to Dortmund.
On the evidence of last night it is highly
plausible that Roberto Mancini’s men could claim 10 points and once again find
themselves in third place and the dubious allure of the Europa League
beckoning.
There’s lies, damned lies and statistics
and with 64% possession and seven out of nine shots on target it might appear
that City were very much ‘in’ this match. In truth they weren’t.
Resplendent in yellow and black stripes,
Dortmund were as welcome as wasps at a barbeque as they harried a strangely
lethargic City, pressing a high line and playing with pace, precision and power.
The hugely impressive Mario Gotze severely tested
Hart three times in the first half, with the England keeper tipping two shots
onto the woodwork, as well as thwarting the German playmaker one-on-one at
close range.
City, despite lacking the speed and
invention of their opponents, carved out a handful of credible opportunities
with Dortmund stopper Wiedenfeller, twice shutting Aguero out and David Silva
smashing an awkward acrobatic shot skywards over the bar.
Dortmund’s presence was as obvious off the
pitch as on it, with the travelling masses bouncing in unison in a
choreographed display of sound and motion that boomed and bedazzled.
The loss of Javi Garcia to a hamstring
injury on the half hour hardly helped to stabilize a jittery City as Jack
Rodwell entered the fray. The youngster’s lapse was to prove costly in the
second half.
Dortmund were delivering the high octane
performance more readily associated with the all-action Premier League, and it
was the English champions trying – unsuccessfully – to impose a more languid
European tempo on proceedings.
Mancini attempted to bolster City’s
vulnerable left flank with Aleksander Kolarov replacing the ineffectual Samir
Nasri and switching from a back four to a back three.
Within five minutes an abhorrent Rodwell
pass went wayward at the back and the effervescent Marco Reus latched on to the
loose ball, finally beating the fantastic Hart. Dortmund ahead and deservedly
so.
Fine strikes from Reus and Ilkay Gundogan
were repelled by Hart within five minutes of City falling behind. The German
supporters behind Hart’s goal were loving it, cheekily taunting City fans with
a perfect rendition of ‘You only sing when you’re winning…’ Outrageous!
Still there was no respite. Polish hitman
Robert Lewandowski contrived to miss a sitter, hitting a gilt-edged pass from
that man Gotze, wide of the post.
With Yaya carrying an injury from early in
the half, City were lacking energy, drive and creativity – time for Super Mario
and a last hurrah. Clichy off Balotelli on.
With time dwindling Aguero , who had been double-teamed
all night, found the space to attack a Pablo Zabaleta cross and force a
brilliant save from Weidenfeller.
Surely City were going to lose only their
second ever European tie on home soil. Aguero and the underperforming Czech
Republic referee, Pavel Kralovec had other ideas.
Two minutes from time Aguero hit a
cross-cum-shot onto the excellent Neven Subotic’s thigh which ricocheted onto
his elbow – penalty! The Serbian centre half could not believe it. City players
and fans alike could not believe it - the Czech – who had been anything but a
‘mate’ to City’s cause – pointed to the spot.
Mario exercised his veto over Aguero’s
claim as penalty taker, even enduring the whispering Weidenfeller in his ear in
blatant attempt at gamesmanship that went unpunished by the ref.
But antagonize Mario at your peril. He
stepped up with ice coursing through his veins and coolly passed the ball into
the bottom right hand of the net. The Italian returned the compliment to the
cheeky German keeper, imitating ‘chops’ with with a hand gesture.
It was an equalizer hardly deserved but
deliriously received.
The magnificent Hart still had time to make
one final save from Lewandowski low down to his left, before an evening of
anxiety and inferiority came to a conclusion.
Rarely, if ever, has Mancini’s Manchester
City been given such a comprehensive runaround – even in defeat.
(c) The Sky Blue View 2012
Overall, I think this is a fair report on the game as I saw it.
ReplyDeleteIf we had taken our early chances, the game could have turned out differently, and, for me, it was a poor miss by Silva on the stroke of half time.
I thought the referee was OK, he could have given us a free kick for a tug on Silva in the build up to Dortmund's goal, but, we were in possession when the ball was given away, so it's not as if the ball immediately went to Reus to enable him to score.
Showed good spirit to rescue a point, as it didn't look as it was going to happen, and, you're right, Ballotelli is one hell of a penalty taker.
Two very important games coming up against Ajax. Two softish yellow cards picked up by Kompany will mean a new central defence partnership in Amsterdam.