Europa League full time report:
Manchester City 1-1 Juventus
Manchester City and Juventus shared the spoils at City of Manchester Stadium in the UEFA Europa League group match as it ended at 1-1.
Manchester City started the match with some good possession. The home side created number of good chances but could not make them count, following a spell of domination by the home side. It was then the turn of away team to play
some keep ball. Joe Hart made a good save following a long-range Alessandro Del Piero free-kick that zipped off the turf. Manchester City had to dive hard to punch it away.
Juventus then did get hold of the game for a while, and did have just reward. Vincenzo Iaquinta decided to try his luck from about 30 yards out on the left and, the ball did take a deflection from Kolo Toure's head and went past
Joe Hart into the net.
The home side did wake up after the goal and started playing with some more purpose; Adam Johnson was the man leading most of the attacks.
Manchester City like Juventus had done early kept ball for long periods and kept frustrating the opposition. The pressure paid off and they were level, the goal was simply a piece of art. Yaya Toure proving yet again that the millions
spent on him were millions well spent.
Yaya Toure held the ball up on the edge of Juventus’ area and waited for Adam Johnson to make a diagonal run, as soon as Johnson was through the former Barca player laid it up for him on the plate. The left footer made no mistake
and made it 1-1. Teams went into the break with the scores levelled and much more was expected of the 2nd
period.
Juventus got the 2nd half under way. There was a change made at half time by Manchester City; Dedryck Boyata was on for Pablo Zabaleta.
The Italians did not waste much time before bringing a save out of Joe Hart. It was quite a comfortable one, because Joe Hart dealt easily enough with Alessandro Del Piero's 25-yard effort. City were showing a bit of intent too,
although no shots were on goal but Carlos Tevez was buzzing around and keeping the visiting defence very busy.
Pablo Zabaleta was taken off as a precaution, because of a muscle problem, rather than any after effects of having Giorgio Chiellini's knee smashed into his face earlier.
There was some more wing wizardry by Adam Johnson, who cut inside from the right and got a shot away too. It was low and easily saved by Alex Manninger, but Johnson was giving the visitors plenty to think about.
Gareth Barry also got into the act and sent Mohamed Sissoko tumbling with a late tackle which served him a yellow card. It was also a free kick for Juve, which Vincent Kompany cleared expertly after a testing delivery into the
six yard box by Alessandro Del Piero.
Moments later there was another free kick for Juve; Kolo Toure clipped Alessandro Del Piero after some fancy footwork by the veteran Italian. This time about 30 yards out. Alessandro Del Piero took it himself, and went for goal.
He was not far away either and Joe Hart was beaten all ends up before turning to see that the ball flew about a yard wide rather than into the top corner of his net.
With 15 minutes to play, it was City's turn to threaten, and Emmanuel Adebayor should have done a lot better. He leaped to meet Carlos Tevez's cross from the left but failed to make meaningful contact with the ball, which skidded
off his head and behind for a goal kick.
Yaya Toure, the engineer of City’s goal, charged forward like an unstoppable truck and fed Emmanuel Adebayor in the area. This was a chance for City, or at least it should have been. Instead, Adebayor took an age to control the
ball and was hustled out of it.
David Silva was sent on with 10 minutes left, he replaced Emmanuel Adebayor after a particularly unproductive evening for the Togo international.
In the final 10 minutes, City were looking dangerous with Carlos Tevez and David Silva linking up well inside the Juve area. No end product, but plenty of pressure. Less than two minutes of the 90 were left for someone to win it.
Alessandro Del Piero advanced for Juventus to the edge of the area. He found Felipe Melo, who made a run for goal before being superbly marshalled out of the danger zone by Dedryck Boyata.
The match finally ended at 1-1, although it was a draw but there was no shortage of action. Roberto Mancini, the City boss should be pleased with the performance against one of the biggest teams in Europe, but still would have
preferred all 3 points. For Juventus, a point away from home against City should not be bad a result after all.
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