Manchester City 1 Roma 1 Manchester City discovered how hard they will have to fight to qualify for the Champions League knockout phase after they were held to a draw by Roma at Etihad Stadium.. City will still feel confident of qualification from a group also containing CSKA Moskow but, with Bayern favourites after two wins, Roma have demonstrated they will pose a serious threat to their aspirations of moving out of this tough section as Manuel Pellegrinis side still have to visit Italy. Former Italy attacker Totti may be in the twilight of his marvellous career but he showed a guile and composure that often proved beyond City, who still seem to be searching for a self-belief in this competition that equates to the stature of the players in their squad. Roma, despite missing injured powerhouses Kevin Strootman and Daniele De Rossi, were combative in midfield and showed the sort of pace in attack that will trouble City in the return meeting. And in former England defender Ashley Cole, they have an accomplished player still more than capable of holding his own in the Champions League. As expected, City goalkeeper Joe Hart was recalled after being rested for two games, but the first action came at the other end as the hosts took the lead from the penalty spot inside four minutes. Former City defender Maicon senselessly dragged Aguero back as he raced into the area. The veteran Brazilian looked mystified but his protests fell on deaf ears and Aguero sent Lukasz Skorupski the wrong way. If City thought this would smooth their path, Roma had other ideas and Maicon should have equalised almost immediately when he raced on to Tottis pass and hammered a rising shot against the bar from an angle. Until Francesco Totti scored against Manchester City, Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs held the record as the oldest man to score in European club football Giggs was 37 and 289 days when he scored for United in a 1-1 draw with Benfica in a Champions League group game in September 2011 Roma kept coming, however, and the equaliser they deserved duly arrived after 20 minutes. Totti was sent clear by Radja Nainggolans pass and took advantage of an unfortunate slip by Hart as he came off his line, showing wonderful touch and technique to score with a lofted finish. It had been an anxious first 45 minutes for City and their fans, with Pellegrini opting to introduce more solidity at the start of the second half by introducing James Milner for Jesus Navas.There was no immediate impact on Roma as Hart blocked crucially from Miralem Pjanic, and the keeper was relieved to see the same players curling 25-yard shot drift inches wide seconds later. Pellegrini felt the need to add further experience after 56 minutes when Frank Lampard replaced the subdued Edin Dzeko - and he almost added to his tally of four goals in the past 10 days with a low shot that was turned aside by Skorupski. As Romas efforts took their toll in the closing minutes, David Silva almost grabbed a winner, but he could only turn Pablo Zabaletas cross wide at the near post. LINEUP, BOOKINGS (3) & SUBSTITUTIONS (6) Manchester City 01 Hart 05 Zabaleta Booked 04 Kompany 26 Demichelis 22 Clichy 15 Jesús Navas (Milner - 45 ) 25 Fernandinho 42 Y Touré 21 Silva 10 Dzeko (Lampard - 57 ) 16 Agüero (Jovetic - 84 ) Substitutes 03 Sagna 07 Milner 11 Kolarov 13 Caballero 18 Lampard 20 Mangala 35 Jovetic Roma 28 Skorupski 13 Maicon Booked (Torosidis - 89 ) 44 Manolas 02 Yanga-Mbiwa 03 Cole 15 Pjanic 20 Keita 04 Nainggolan Booked 27 Gervinho 10 Totti (Iturbe - 72 ) 24 Florenzi (Holebas - 83 ) Substitutes 07 Iturbe 08 Ljajic 12 Curci 22 Destro 25 Holebas 32 Paredes 35 Torosidis Ref: Björn Kuipers Att: 37,509 MATCH STATS
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 11:36:40 +0000
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