City vs Bayern Post Match Thread

[inchy14]

I thought generally we were bloody awful tonight. Thank fuck for Sergio, practically a one man team.

Our midfield is piss poor, none of them good enough for where we want to go - not one of the 5 that played tonight would get within a million miles of Bayern's first 11.

About time though that we had the rub of the green in a Chumps game.

Thoroughly enjoyable feeling.

Please excuse my language but fuck off.

We played against one of if not the best side in Europe and won. Even after the sending off they have 10 outfield players as Neuer is like a centre half.

We had more chances than them and IMO deserved to win.

 

[NorCalBlue]

1-1 and Roma will go through,

Someone posted the tie-breaker rules on the match thread and it's just the traditional goal difference as the first tie breaker iirc. Since we're now at -1 and Roma and CSKA are both -4, any draw takes us through as long as CSKA don't beat Bayern, and any win takes us through as long as CSKA don't beat Bayern by 3 more than we win by.

Not any draw. head to head is first, 0:0 draw and Roma qualifies.

Quite right - I realized after posting this that I'd mis-read the tiebreaker rules. I thought it was straight goal difference (in which case 0-0 would work for us), but it's actually goal difference between the teams tied on points. If only two teams have the same points, that becomes a straight head-to-head, but if three teams are tied, it's the goal difference from all the games between those three teams.

If CSKA lose, then a tie would put us head-to-head with Roma and then we'd lose out with a 0-0 on away goals. If we tie 1-1, we'd be tied head-to-head with Roma, in which case the next tiebreaker is total goal difference in the group, which would put us through on account of their 7-1 loss to Bayern.

If CSKA draws with Bayern, we need to beat Roma, as this would put all three teams on 6 points, and Roma have a much better goal difference than us in the games between the three.

 

[chesterbells]

Brilliant tonight, loved it.

Just seen Guardiola's post match interview - 'one of the most proud days of my career' - strange how gushing he was about his team after that; they did play well enough with 10 men, but by implication his level of praise for our team was interesting to hear.

 

[Rammy Blue]

We did what has been done to us so many times - ruthlessly exploited mistakes and took our precious chances. Fantastic. First time City have really looked like an elite CL unit. Obviously Bayern are still a better team I think, the result doesn't change that (especially as they played with 10), but it could be a serious moment for us in Europe if we follow it up in Rome.

Have to say LC I don't agree - Don't think there was anything elite looking about us bar Sergio. We went 2-1 down to 10 men, in the CL especially with our previous record that's as ridiculous as it is unforgivable. Like Rammy says above, not a single man in our midfield today would get into Bayerns side, I still think we're a long way off and Aguero is a god among men. The whole team should be giving him at least a weeks wages. We were 120 seconds away from this site disappearing into a black hole.

It's a weird place, this forum. The euphoria of Sergio's magic makes people look back on the game with serious blue tinted glasses on.

I'm over the moon at the result but can't escape the fact that a 10 man Bayern side made keeping the ball look so bloody easy, they strolled past us the majority of the time. I spent the time between 40 and 85 mins going mental at how badly we were playing and giving the ball away, choosing wrong options time after time.

As you say, this place would have imploded bar the last 5 mins from the maestro.

 

[mad zab]

We did what has been done to us so many times - ruthlessly exploited mistakes and took our precious chances. Fantastic. First time City have really looked like an elite CL unit. Obviously Bayern are still a better team I think, the result doesn't change that (especially as they played with 10), but it could be a serious moment for us in Europe if we follow it up in Rome.

Have to say LC I don't agree - Don't think there was anything elite looking about us bar Sergio. We went 2-1 down to 10 men, in the CL especially with our previous record that's as ridiculous as it is unforgivable. Like Rammy says above, not a single man in our midfield today would get into Bayerns side, I still think we're a long way off and Aguero is a god among men. The whole team should be giving him at least a weeks wages. We were 120 seconds away from this site disappearing into a black hole.

The difference is the manager.

Bayern won the CL before Guardiola joined them. However, they never dominated the possession like they do now. As with Barcelona Pep gets his team to play this wonderful possession game because he doesn't pander to fools and ensures his team practice the high pressing passing game.

Pep is the best manager in the world and if he was our manager we would be qualifying with ease. Also he would have better defenders than he has at Bayern. Their achilles heel is defending against pace. This was obvious tonight. Just think what he would do with defenders like Kompany and Mangala in his team.

 

[schfc6]

Hart 5
Sagna 7 ( Zaba 7)
Clichy 8
Kompany 8
Mangala 6
Fernando 7
Navas 7
Lampard 7
Milner 6 (Jovetic 8)
Nasri 7
Aguero 11 (Demi ?)

Sagna was about a 5
Mangala 8 ( tell me a tackle he lost?)
Fernando 6
Milner 5
Nasri 5

Apart from that I agree with you

If you think Nasri was a 5 tonight, you're an idiot. I simply don't understand people like you. I agree on Milner & Mangala though.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

We did what has been done to us so many times - ruthlessly exploited mistakes and took our precious chances. Fantastic. First time City have really looked like an elite CL unit. Obviously Bayern are still a better team I think, the result doesn't change that (especially as they played with 10), but it could be a serious moment for us in Europe if we follow it up in Rome.

Have to say LC I don't agree - Don't think there was anything elite looking about us bar Sergio. We went 2-1 down to 10 men, in the CL especially with our previous record that's as ridiculous as it is unforgivable. Like Rammy says above, not a single man in our midfield today would get into Bayerns side, I still think we're a long way off and Aguero is a god among men. The whole team should be giving him at least a weeks wages. We were 120 seconds away from this site disappearing into a black hole.

To be fair, that wouldn't have been the first time this site has been minutes away from a meltdown with a couple of minutes to go.
Whilst I agree we weren't great, why would we be? Not been playing brilliantly and playing against one of the best three sides in Europe.
That's played 6 against Bayern, won 3 and lost 3.

 

[Marvin]

Great result for you lot today. I honestly don't think the performance matters. Both teams were missing several fist teams were missing key players, though Bayern were missing more. Bayern took control of the first 10 minutes, but after that I think City were back into the game and deserving of the goalm though it was a rash mistake from Benatia again (he seems to make too many of these). After the goal it was bad from City. Clichy, Lampard, Navas and Aguero all had very good games. In the end hard work, a great attitude and exceptional finishing from Aguero won the game. Aguero has to be the most clinical striker in world football except for Messi. I think he might be more clinical than even Ronaldo. If City were t qualify then really they need only be worried about Madrid and Barca. Dortmund depends on the players they have available, after that anything is possible and who knows. I imagine the players will feel like they have a free hit too, after being so close to going out.

Bayern were taking too many risks. Maybe, because it was a dead rubber, but constantly losing to City could come back to haunt them. Fine to take those risks early on, but not in the last 15 when you are tired and have run a lot. Even a squad like Bayern's can only be stretched so far. Hojbjerg was very good for his age, but he is still not world class. Alonso made mistakes when pressed as Spain and Madrid were finding out last season. Bernat and Rafinha are far away from Alaba and Lahm.

It's going to be an amazing game in Roma and the atmosphere should be unbelievable.

Zabaleta, Kolarov are our normal 1st choice full backs. Demichelis usually starts alongside Kompany. The entire midfield were out, and Dzeko is Aguero's normal strike partner.

 

[BigOscar]

Who gives a fuck how much they had the ball? They were never in dangerous areas with it. We let them have it in unthreatening areas and took it off them when they came anywhere near our box. They created fuck all. They scored from a back pass that Joe Hart was having a nap for and a scabby lob of the srikers shoulder after a long punt into our box. All their possession counted for fuck all, as we didn't leave ourselves exposed like we have on pretty much every other CL occasion. We looked like a proper team for once.

We on the other hand constantly threatened in behind them with Sergio and frequently threatened down the right with Navas. I'm not having the negativity from some towards that performance, it was the best I can recall us playing in Europe and we ran out deserved victors against probably the best team in the world. Not sure what some people want from the team.

 

[mrbelfry]

No where near as bad as some are making out and the disappointment in the ITV studio was palpable. Bayern are unbelievably good - not sure how you beat them when they have anything to play for :) They keep the ball, work their nuts off and have some incredible players. The two goals we conceded were disappointing but we showed grit and character. Despite going in 1-2 at half time we looked the most dangerous - Bayern were defending pretty high. 2nd half they dropped right back - Jovetic coming on gave us that little bit of extra intelligence and Sergio took his 2 chances absolutely brilliantly. His placement of both his shots and the runs he made to create them were the epitome of intelligent forward play. Hope he retires with us