TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 1 Manchester City 2 - JOTS, Stats Link & Post Match Reax | Vital Football

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 1 Manchester City 2 - JOTS, Stats Link & Post Match Reax

Johnny Baguette

Johnny Baguette

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Johnny On The Spot: #AND BREATHE. A pivotal week in Manchester City’s season has begun with a crucial narrow away win out of another frustrating night in the Champions League as the Blues once again failed to put away the opposition comprehensively in a game they dominated. Imperious in England and Wales, City’s form in Europe is an utter mystery, 17 games without a clean sheet on the road in this competition telling it’s own story. Admittedly, our cause was not helped by a classic “homer” of a referee, but we cannot afford the type of defensive lapses and profligacy that pegged back tonight’s performance. Make no mistake either regarding Hoffenheim who absolutely went after City, no doubt inspired by Lyon’s victory over the English champions. All that said, this is an ideal pressure relieving result and now the centurions have an extra 24 hours more than the hack and pundit’s champions elect Liverpool to prepare for the biggest game of the season to date on Sunday. Liverpool must contend with the Napoli cauldron beforehand. My Man of The Match was none other than match winner Spanish Dave. A special word for Riyad Mahrez who is worth a start on Merseyside.

https://manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/city-back-on-track-with-crucial-win-in-germany/
 
'Man City took their opportunity'
Hoffenheim 1-2 Man City
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Pat Nevin
Former Scotland winger on BBC Radio 5 live

They got the win and I think they needed to as a draw wasn’t enough. They stuck in there and made sure when an opportunity came up they took it. This wasn’t a totally dominant display from Man City, it was much, much less than that. But that wasn’t much to do with City, it was more to do with Hoffenheim. I was very impressed with them and they will take more points off teams in this group, which is good for Man City.
 
Hats off to "The Hoff". Still we should do better. Why have we had a continous problem starting matches in the CL? I expect better from Pep. I just don't have a good feeling in Europe this year.
 
a ground out win, but we have to get better, good job we are not at our best because teams better look out when we get there.

It is always a gamble when you mess with the defence, but City did get away with some hairy moments and it was a good come-back. but as JB says we wasted a lot of balls.
 
Pep Guardiola:
"(It means) A lot. After losing the first game it was so important we don't lose today - the game was tight and in the end (we won).
"To win in Germany is always so complicated. It's a good three points - we fought against a lot of things, and that is why it is satisfying for the team.
"In the first half we were better. In the second half, there was little bit of fear but even in the first half, we conceded shots.
"Hoffenheim are so well organised defensively and with the ball they are so strong. It was not easy to find it but at the end, we found the right moment to win the game.
"We need to live this experience to get better. You cannot make the next steps if you don't suffer - you don't live this experience so this will be good for the future."
 
Rising said:
This dodgy refereeing of our games in Europe really beggars belief.
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When asked about the Refereeing, Pep obviously suspecting a trap by the media into commenting on this inept refereeing performance for a UEFA CL game said I don't want to tank, I don't want to talk I don't want to talk, I would rather be with my players on the bench, he did, however, refer to other games which had dodgy decisions.

I get the feeling that Pep fully understands why City are the subject of poor refereeing and UEFA rule changes aimed at City and what it is like to be a supporter under these situations which would be completely different if this had been certain other Clubs
 
The referee and his assistants, ALL of them, were a joke.

The clips above posted by CITK were not the only examples but perhaps the most shocking. That foul on Silva was directly in front of the assistant & was then compounded by a second foul only a minute or so later....for which no card was given.

To this litany of bias, I would add:-

1. The throw in (first half) when DSS1's quick thinking put three Hoffenheim players out of the game and Sané through into the penalty area and with options to pass to - a potential goal opportunity. The referee stopped play for no reason whatsoever and sought to lecture Guardiola. WTF?

2. Throw in in the second half.......Assistant awards it to City and then (I presume after a word in his ear from the referee) changes hands and awards it in the home team's favour. ??

3. Multiple corners or free kicks for City which, when the ball arrived into the 18 yards box, the referee spotted a mystery offence by a City player and clearly NEVER a corresponding offence by a defender.

4. The foul committed by Walker. Originally the referee allowed play to continue and only awarded a free kick when the Hoffenheim player continued to lie prone on the pitch and the home bench were up in arms.........he clearly thought the tackle was ok (in fact it actually was a foul) but he was clearly alerted by someone else (4th official?) or influenced by the reaction of the bench/home crowd.

Several of these incidents baffled the BT Sport commentators echoing the comments made by Jackie Oatley from the BBC about the home side getting every decision (as noted in the MDT). Although oddly, despite mentioning that Guardiola refused to discuss the officials after the game was mentioned in the BBC radio sports bulletins, they never once mentioned why which is just.....bizarre.

It was a shocking display of bias IMO. Vinnie Kompany was far more diplomatic during his post-match interview simply referring to be aware of a 'trend'. He is right, these shocking decisions go right back to Roberto Mancini's campaigns and where I recall two clear penalties not being awarded for fouls on Balotelli by Boateng in a game against Bayern Munich. It continued under Pellegrini when Sterling was clearly fouled by a Barcelona centre-half.

This, however, was the most obvious and egregious of them all with the referee having an absolute mental breakdown when faced with the decision after Baumann took out Sane. He gave nothing. Surely if there was no foul he ought to have booked Sane for simulation? His failure to do so spoke volumes - I think he panicked and just chose to ignore the incident completely. Dreadful.
 
As for Hoffenhiem......much was made of how they 'took the game to City' but my over-riding impression was of a side that gave it a go early on, took their (gifted) chance but in the second half played no differently to many other sides we face as there were times when they had every single player in their final third. For long periods.

Technically some of their players were very good but they were favoured by the referee on many occasions, were awarded soft decisions and were limited in their ambition as the game went on. That is all fine and dandy, that's the way their much-vaunted young coach wanted to play the game, no problem......but I am not of the opinion that they were 'unlucky' to lose.

Last night UEFA lost.
 
I think the linesman flagged that Walker foul Skoorb, he was lucky not to see red on that one tbh.

I agree with everything else you've said though, my grievance apart from the obvious penalty was the soft frees when we delivered set pieces, we looked a threat from our first few and it seemed as if the ref decided I'm not having that.
 
Yes, the Walker challenge was borderline.

The ‘incident’ involving Agüero........utterly laughable.
 
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