Showing posts with label Manchester City. Show all posts
Thursday 6 November 2014
Pellegrini baffled by Manchester City's Champions League form
His side are on the brink of Champions League elimination, needing to beat Roma and Bayern Munich in their final two matches and hope other results go their way.
The Chilean also refuses to blame the performance of Greek referee Tasos Sidiropolous, who turned down a late penalty appeal by Sergio Aguero.
bbc sport
Sunday 2 November 2014
Man City 1 - 0 Man United
Aguero was twice denied in the first half by David De Gea, before United defender Chris Smalling was sent off.
City then took the lead just after the hour as Aguero fired into the roof of the net from Gael Clichy's pass.
Robin van Persie and Angel di Maria were both denied by Joe Hart as City held firm for the win.
Manuel Pellegrini's side are third, six points behind leaders Chelsea.
bbc sport
Monday 29 September 2014
City's Hart itching for return to action against Roma
(Reuters) - England goalkeeper Joe Hart will return for Manchester City in their Champions League match at home to AS Roma on Tuesday after being replaced by Willy Caballero for the last two games.
Hart sat on the bench for his team's 4-2 win at Hull City in the Premier League and Argentine Caballero, signed from Malaga this year, produced a solid display.
He was also rested for last week's League Cup thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday and while he is clearly still manager Manuel Pellegrini's first choice for the big games, he is not a fan of watching from the sidelines.
"Of course, I want to play every game, that is my nature, my professionalism," Hart told a news conference ahead of the vital game against the Italians in Group E.
"I am not the manager, just a player. I live by the decisions of the manager.
"It is hard for me to see (the positives of being rested). I am sure when I retire from football I will see them but right now I am not going to see them."
Hart was in superb form in the 1-0 defeat against Bayern Munich in City's opening game, keeping the Bavarians out almost single-handedly until a deflected winner in the dying seconds.
With Roma also winning their first match, he knows that anything short of victory will leave City with an uphill battle to reach the last 16.
"It is obviously a big game after the disappointing start we had in Munich," he said. "Roma have been doing very well. We have focused a lot more on them since they were drawn in our group. They got a great result in their opening game."
While the emphasis in Munich was very much on defence, Pellegrini believes his side have now clicked as an attacking force after a tricky start to the season.
They scored seven against Wednesday and four at the weekend and the Chilean thinks they are hitting their stride.
"I think we are playing well," he said. "Maybe at the beginning of the season we didn't score so many goals here at home, especially against Chelsea and Stoke. We scored only one goal in those two games.
"But after that the team returned to its normal performance and at this moment I have a lot of trust in the team because I think we are in a good moment."
Tuesday 16 September 2014
Injury-hit Bayern still a tough test for City - Kompany
(Reuters) - Injury-hit Bayern Munich pose a big test for Manchester City on Wednesday in what should prove a good gauge of their Champions League ambitions this season, City captain Vincent Kompany said.
City beat Bayern 3-2 in Munich in the group stage last season and the Bundesliga champions are ravaged by injury ahead of their Group E opener.
"We are not favourites," Kompany told reporters on Tuesday. "But the beauty of this game is that every year is a chance to start again.
"It is difficult to predict what will happen tomorrow but as we move on we will get stronger," said Kompany, whose team needed a late header by Martin Demichelis, a former Bayern player, to snatch a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.
Bayern will be without experienced Franck Ribery with fellow winger Arjen Robben also doubtful. Central defender Holger Badstuber tore a thigh muscle tendon on Saturday and requires surgery. He joins Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thiago Alcantara, Rafinha and Javi Martinez on the sidelines.
City are desperate to finally break into Europe's football elite after years of vast investment in the club.
"There are probably not many harder places to come to," said the Belgium international. "It is time to close the gap between us and those three, four best clubs in the world.
"It is a good thing to start with such a game. But it is just the first step in the group stage," said the 28-year-old defender.
Kompany and his team mates will be without Argentine Pablo Zabaleta, who is serving a one-game suspension following his red card in last season's round of 16 and suspended coach Manuel Pellegrini, who is sitting out a touchline ban for a referee outburst last season.
Assistant coach Ruben Cousillas will be in charge for the game with the Argentine saying Pellegrini had full confidence in him to run such a big game.
"Of course we will miss Manuel. However I know how he thinks and I have his 100 percent confidence," Cousillas told reporters.
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