Monitoring Desk
LONDON, England
(TheSportsNEXT) November 7, 2012: Manchester City stand on the verge of a
second successive group-phase exit from the UEFA Champions League after a 2-2
draw at home to Ajax left their hopes hanging by a thread, FIFA’s official
website reported.
Sloppy defending saw City fall 2-0 down to a pair of early
goals from Siem de Jong, and although the English champions rallied and drew
level through Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero, the last 16 remains an unlikely
objective.
The result left Roberto Mancini's men with two points from
four games and even victories in their remaining Group D games against Real
Madrid and Borussia Dortmund may not be enough to keep them in the competition.
Having out-played City in their 3-1 victory in Amsterdam two
weeks ago, Ajax once again showed their class at the Etihad Stadium, and they
trail second-place Real Madrid by three points with two games to play.
City began the game with intent, Toure making a penalty
claim and Pablo Zabaleta shooting over from Carlos Tevez's incisive pass, but
two moments of inattention at corners saw the hosts ship two goals in quick
succession.
For the opening goal, on ten minutes, Niklas Moisander was
allowed to meet Christian Eriksen's corner and prod the ball goalwards, with de
Jong sliding in to squeeze home from close range as it bounced across goal.
Seven minutes later, Eriksen's delivery came from the left,
but City's defending was just as static. Toure watched as de Jong ambled away
from him at the near post and, with Gareth Barry slow to react, the Ajax
skipper was able to beat Joe Hart with a well-placed header.
Ajax fans sparked up a chorus of 'Always Look on the Bright
Side of Life,' but the hosts hit back quickly through Toure, who skilfully
chested down Samir Nasri's deflected cross and hooked a fierce volley past
Kenneth Vermeer.
Zabaleta led City's attempts to find an equaliser, seeing a
deflected cross headed off the line by Ricardo van Rhijn and then forcing
Vermeer to save with a downward header.
Ajax remained a threat on the break, however, and there were
angry complaints from the home fans when both de Jong and Derk Boerrigter were
given the time to flash efforts from range narrowly off target.
Mancini introduced Mario Balotelli in place of Javi Garcia
at half-time, and the visitors soon found themselves defending on the edge of
their own penalty area. Matija Nastasic volleyed over from a Barry free-kick
and Aguero had a goal ruled out for offside, before slipping at the crucial
moment after taking the ball past Vermeer.
De Jong served a reminder of Ajax's threat with a pair of
25-yard strikes - the second a free-kick - that obliged Hart to scramble across
his line to save, but City survived and in the 74th minute they drew level.
Hart's kick was flicked on by Balotelli and Aguero held his nerve to drill the
ball into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box.
Belatedly, the home fans found their voices, and it required
a brilliant reflex save from Vermeer to palm away Balotelli's goal-bound header
with 11 minutes remaining. Aguero then thought he had claimed a dramatic winner
in the 88th minute, but substitute Aleksandar Kolarov was ajudged to have
strayed offside in the build-up.
There were angry scenes at the final whistle, meanwhile,
with City's players surrounding referee Peter Rasmussen after he failed to
award a penalty when Balotelli went down in the Ajax area.
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