Manchester City 4 - Borussia M'gladbach 2 Johnny On The Spot & Stats Link

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Johnny Baguette

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Johnny On The Spot:

#GAME CHANGER. A six minute blitz borne out of one of the most hard working and relentlessly ambitious second half performances we've seen in the modern era from Manchester City could well have transformed our season. Who knows where Manuel Pellegrini and his men's dogged perseverance will take them onwards from this breathtaking win..? This was an extraordinary, pulsating football match wherein enterprising BMG, brimming with the confidence gained from a long unbeaten run and a weekend thumping of Bayern Munich more than played their part. Their high pressing game echoed Dortmund in their Klopp pomp, forcing City's confidence shorn defence into a tactically narrow, scattergun glut of mistakes, persisting even after Silva blasted City ahead to go in at the break deservedly on top...But then it all changed. City flew out of the blocks as if affronted, proceeding to batter BMG into submission, suddenly on the receiving end themselves of the high pressing game that has become The Blues trademark under The Engineer who tonight rang the required changes shrewdly to seal a sensational win...BMG, desperate to win to compete in the Europa League with the Stretford Galacticos were run ragged and looked shattered at the hands of the likes of "greedy" Sterling, the young Englishman's hunger for the ball mirroring that of his suddenly effervescent team mates...Quintessentially, injury ravaged City have finally found their feet in The Champions League and after years of frustration, thoroughly deserve a crack at a more favourable Round of 16 draw next week...My Man of the Match tonight has to be Silva who orchestrated the show with an honourable mention to Sterling and Kolarov who enjoyed their finest hours in sky blue to date...Enjoy, Planet Blue!

Stats Courtesy BBC Sport: http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/stats.asp?a=559860#ixzz3tlpQul7T
 
The Agenda continues though fifth. That first high eye on the player foul on Sterling unpunished and a blatant penno right under the nose of the tenth official or whatever it is.
 
Outstandingly composed stuff JB on a very giddy night! :hat off:

When was the last time we played and received zero bookings?

Still a bit dizzy after that whirlwind second half :wibble:
 
There should have been a booking 5th, on Sterling. But for the most part the ref did OK.

I thought BMG were lucky in the first half, getting the bounce and picking the secondary balls, every flick and back heel came off and whilst we got the first goal my main gripe was Trevor Francis commentating for BT who was scathing of City everything they did he criticised

He is the sort of guy that sits on the fence and only comes off when the result is nailed on, however in this case, he suddenly remembered who he was and that City were actually playing great football do only needed that equaliser to take this game and whether or not the score from the Sevilla game had got to the lads they took it by the scruff of the neck and let's hope we can push on from here.
 
Manuel Pellegrini:

“It was his Raheem's birthday – I told him before the game that the minimum he had to do today was score two goals. I’m not joking – I told him that...I think it’s important for him to score those goals tonight. If we play the way we did in the second half we can play against any team. It’s the way we normally work – it’s the way I like us to play. It seems like it’s faster but it’s slower...For me, the most important thing tonight, above finishing top of the group, is that we returned to being the team we normally are...We improved a lot in the second half – we arranged it and once we were losing 2-1, we didn’t concede one chance. They haven’t lost since they lost to us and they beat Bayern Munich so it wasn’t easy.”
 
Yes the main headline is the rags not qualifying on the BBC site, but we have been used to the rags taking the limelight all our lives.

It was really good that sky did a big effort on Monday at City.

BT are a disappointment, but I get the feeling that if we got to the final and the rags held a friendly with Salford city on the same day theses two channels would just show the highlights of the CL final.

A reminder that we are the only club to reach a European trophy final and the game nit shown live on the TV.
 
It was great wasn't it? He had been on Clichy's back all evening, ignoring that he had been double teamed all through the the first half - any full back would struggle with that. Francis was doing my head in.
 
I have a feeling that the BBC chose to provide radio coverage on the rags in Germany rather than broadcasting the City game on their doorstep.

When we played away on the last game away against Juventus guess where the commentary came from?

That's right. The Old Toilet.

YCMIU
 
BT at it now.

CL highlights and sat round the table.....Rio Ferdinand, Ginger Scholes and Tiny Tim Owen. 3 ex rags.

Goodness me. Any chance of providing some balance chaps?
 
Fabulous result - and was this really Kolarov's finest 90 minutes in sky blue - hope so!

Great to bounce back after the Stoke game - and so many bad results recently.

Four times I've counted us being referred to as Manchester U****d on 5 live - not great really - and yes, it is a bit like a rag fanzine.

And Hartson is doing my head in, he's an idiot.

 
Great night, but I honestly didn't see it coming with 15 or so to go.
BMG looked a good side, and Buzz is right, they did get the breaks at times, especially for the second, which in real time looked offside. On seeing a replay at HT, I was wrong.
I felt the Germans sat on the 2-1 lead, and once it was 2-2, I wonder if word go through to them that Sevilla were leading Juventus?
The game became really stretched, but the flurry of goals did take the breath away.

News came through about the fluctuations in Wolfsburg, and the BMG youth team was sat behind me in the family stand, so that provided quite a bit of entertainment over the game.

The concourse was brilliant as the final result from Spain came through - they were several minutes behind, but great stuff tonight!!
 
Never in my wildest dreams (which usually involve unicorns and the rags playing Salford City in a local derby in the Vanarama League) would I have imagined a night like that. It all came together.

could this be the evening when we really start to get the Eurpoean thing?
 
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