Man City on verge of exit after Ajax draw
Reuters - Tuesday 06 November 2012, 22:03
Manchester City's faint hopes of reaching the Champions
league knockout stage were hanging by a thread after they were held to a
2-2 draw at home to Ajax Amsterdam in Group D on Tuesday.
The
Premier League champions recovered from two goals down to earn a point
and preserve their 18-match unbeaten European home record through Sergio
Aguero's second half equaliser.
Ajax
captain Siem de Jong scored twice in the opening 17 minutes to stun the
hosts but a quick response from City, courtesy of a superb piece of
finishing by Yaya Toure after 22 minutes, at least breathed life into
the match.
Relentless
pressure from Roberto Mancini's team was rewarded when Aguero levelled
after 73 minutes but, with only two points from their opening four
games, City need every result to go their way in the remaining group
matches to advance.
To cap an
unrewarding evening for the hosts, their volatile forward Mario
Balotelli had to be forcibly prevented from approaching Danish referee
Peter Rasmussen at the final whistle after he turned down a late penalty
claim.
Replays suggested the
Italian had a just claim, after he was tugged in a goalmouth melee, and
the unsuccessful appeal may have major repercussions, not only for
City's prospects in the competition but Mancini's future as manager.
With
Borussia Dortmund drawing 2-2 at Real Madrid in the other match in the
section, a City victory would have left them handily placed with a
chance of securing a top-two finish.
Instead
they remain bottom of the group after four of their six group games
behind leaders Dortmund who have eight points, Madrid on seven and Ajax
with four.
City paid the penalty for appalling defending in conceding the goals that put Ajax firmly in control.
DE JONG DOUBLE
After
nine minutes, Ryan Babel sent over a dangerous corner which Niklas
Moisander turned towards goal. City had left de Jong completely unmarked
at the far post and the midfielder converted clinically with Joe Hart's
goal at his mercy.
Mancini,
who had several defensive absentees through injury, must have been even
less impressed that his team then conceded an equally poor goal from
another corner seven minutes later.
This
time midfielder Yaya Toure was at fault by failing to follow de Jong as
he ran towards the near post to meet Christian Eriksen's corner and
finish with a powerful, angled header.
The terrible start left City facing elimination from the group stage for a second consecutive season.
However, Toure quickly made amends with a magnificent piece of finishing to revive City's fading European aspirations.
Fellow
midfielder Samir Nasri, ineffective for most of the evening, sent over a
cross from the right and Toure backed skilfully into his marker before
scoring with a crisp volley on the turn from six yards.
A
header from City defender Pablo Zabaleta might have brought an
equaliser before the interval while de Jong could have claimed an
incredible first-half hat-trick but his long shot flew just off target.
The
introduction of Balotelli at the interval, and fellow stiker Edin Dzeko
midway through the second half, signalled Mancini's attacking intent.
City's
defence may have been brutally exposed at times this season -
particularly in Europe - but their attacking arsenal boasts talent on a
par with most teams.
INEVITABLE EQUALISER
Hart
was still required to make solid stops, from de Jong and a Lasse Schone
free-kick, before the almost inevitable equaliser came courtesy of
Aguero.
The Argentina forward
raced onto Balotelli's flick-on from Hart's long kick and outpaced Toby
Alderweireld before scoring, right-footed, from a step inside the
penalty area.
Balotelli might
have netted with a fine header from a Nasri free-kick, which was well
saved by Kenneth Vermeer, and Aguero had the ball in the net once more
only for his effort to be harshly ruled out for offside against
Aleksandar Kolarov.
Then came the late drama, which included another superb save from Hart to deny Eriksen.