Manchester City triumph over Red Bull Salzburg
Roberto Mancini’s team booked their place in the next knockout round of the Europa League after securing a comfortable victory over their Austrian rivals. The English team scored three goals and managed to keep their clean sheet. Mario Balotelli scored two
goals for the Sky Blues, one in each half. Adam Johnson scored a third for his team, to cement their victory on the 78th minute. Mancini’s squad are now on top of Group A, having attained ten points from five matches. Their opponents of the night,
Salzburg have been knocked out of the competition, managing to acquire only two points from their five matches.
City had ample chances to score more than three goals, with the first attempt coming early in the third minute. Salzburg player, Franz Schiemer was fortunate to deny City a goal, intervening when Patrick Vieira passed on the ball to Jo. The home side had
another chance in the 15th minute when Balotelli had his run with the cut short by the goal keeper Gerhard Tremmel, who cleared the ball. Vieira was once again the provider for Balotelli’s attempt on goal. The goal on the 18th minute
brought a conclusion to their constant efforts and beginning to the three that would follow. Balotelli finally found the back of the net after receiving Pablo Zabaleta’s cross and converted that into a strong volley past Tremmel.
By the 32nd minute, Manchester City were denied an appeal for a penalty by the referee, Libor Kovarik when Schiemer challenged Balotelli who wound up on the floor before received a superb pass from James Milner. Another shot towards the keeper
came from the home side in the 40th minute when Zabaleta found Shaun Wright Phillips and fired the ball from a long distance. The Sky Blues could have doubled their one goal lead before the stroke of half time had Johnson’s ball been shot on the
right side of the post.
After half time, Wright Phillips meager pass could have amounted to something, but was cleared before it managed to pose a serious threat by reaching the expectant Jo and Balotelli, who were waiting in the designated area. There was a hint of controversy
in the 55th minute, when Salzburg player Simon Cziommer was injured and had to be attended to by the medical team. The Salzburg players were furious as the referee did not halt the match from being played during Cziommer’s treatment. The player
eventually did not need a stetcher and was able to make his way off the pitch.
There were two more chances missed by City before the second goal. The first chance ended with Balotelli’s shot hitting the net’s side and Milner squandered a ball fed to him by Johnson by shooting wide off the bar. Balotelli eventually found the back of
the net through an effort from a close range, after Vieira supplied him with the ball, obtaining it first from Johnson. Balotelli could have scored a hat trick, had the third ball found the inside of the net rather than the side. The player was soon substituted
in the 71st minute, making way for Emmanuel Adebayor. Johnson scored seven minutes afterwards to boost City three up by sending a fantastic shot into the corner of the net, after first beating three defenders.
Balotelli has now managed to score six goals through five appearances for Manchester City. It was a fine win for the Eastlands side, as the Manchester City players maintained their fine disciplinary record, as none of them received a yellow and committed
just three fouls compared to Salzburg’s eight. It was a superb win for the Italian boss, in his 50th game in charge of the Sky Blues. Mancini can now concentrate on steering his team to success in the English Premier League, as the Europa League’s
next round of matches are due to start in February of next year. Manchester City will face Bolton in the Premier League over the weekend.
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