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City suffer in Kiev

Manchester City will need to display all their attacking strength next week if they are to remain in the Europa League.

They are chasing a two-goal deficit after former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko and Oleg Gusev handed Dynamo Kiev a useful advantage in this last-16 first leg match.

To complete a frustrating night for manager Roberto Mancini, Mario Balotelli came off in the second half with the Italian striker claiming to be unwell.

After a bright start City showed nothing like the kind of form that marked them down as tournament favourites.

They knew it would be a tough test in freezing conditions as Dynamo went into the match having lost only one of their past 16 games.

With Carlos Tevez on the bench Gareth Barry was handed the captain’s armband.

David Silva threaded the ball through to Micah Richards in the 11th minute only for goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskly to block his path.

Balotelli then tried to release Edin Dzeko in the 18th minute only to put too much weight on the pass and the ball drifted out of play.

City kept up the momentum and won a free-kick 25 yards out but Aleksandar Kolarov sent his effort into the goalkeeper’s body.

Dynamo took the lead with their first attempt on goal in the 24th minute when Shevchenko poked home following a cross from Andriy Yarmolenko.

Shevchenko’s goal rocked City with the striker showing that at 34 he has not lost his scoring instincts.

The home side were growing in confidence and this was a testing spell for City.

Dynamo after all had hammered Turkish side Besiktas 8-1 on aggregate in the last round to progress in style.

Shevchenko then cut the ball back from the byline into the area in the 40th minute after an incisive move.

However Pablo Zabaleta was well positioned and cleared the ball to safety to City’s relief.

Back came Dynamo and Gusev dragged a shot wide of the post on the stroke of half time from 18 yards.

Balotelli was late arriving for the start of the second half and appeared to be in some distress.

He was clutching his face with reports on TV stating the Italian striker was claiming to be unwell.

Mancini, however, was in no hurry to take him off and Balotelli suffered further misery in the 54th minute when he was booked for a challenge on Ayila Yussuf.

Three minutes later Balotelli headed for the dressing room and was replaced by Tevez.

City almost drew level in the 59th minute when Barry laid the ball back to Yaya Toure on the edge of the area.

He struck his shot sweet and true only for the goalkeeper to get down quickly and turn it around the post.

Dynamo continued to look dangerous on the counter attack and Artem Milevskiy got into a good position only to deliver a weak shot that Hart saved comfortably.

City hit back and Joleon Lescott tried his luck on goal in the 68th minute only for Shovkovskly to make the save.

City’s troubles increased in the 77th minute when Dynamo forged 2-0 ahead after poor defending.

Richards failed to deal with a flick on from Milevskiy and Gusev smashed a volley home from eight yards.

Tevez gave City some dynamism but they were unable to pull a goal back and there is much work to be done next week if their European campaign is to continue.

Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com

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Nilmar wins thriller

Substitute Nilmar scored twice, including a last-minute winner, to help Villarreal take a significant step towards the quarter-finals of the Europa League with an away victory over Bayer Leverkusen tonight.

Bundesliga high-flyers Leverkusen, unbeaten in 10 Europa League games this season, took the lead through a fine strike from Michal Kadlec but Villarreal drew level before the break through Giuseppe Rossi.

The Yellow Submarine then got themselves in front thanks to Nilmar, who netted just a minute after coming on in the 69th minute for Rossi, but that lead was short-lived before the hosts equalised through Gonzalo Castro.

That looked to be the way the game would finish, but Nilmar had other ideas and he broke through four minutes into stoppage time to prod in what could prove to be a crucial strike ahead of next week’s second leg at El Madrigal.

Leverkusen, who had won seven of their last nine competitive games coming into tonight’s match, started well.

Renato Augusto brought a fingertip save out of Diego Lopez from a curling free-kick before the home side took the lead in the 33rd minute.

Rossi’s attempted counter-attack from a Leverkusen corner was halted on the halfway line and the ball fell to Kadlec, who progressed unchallenged towards the edge of the Villarreal area before thumping a 25-yard shot across Lopez and into the far corner.

That was not enough to give Leverkusen the lead at the interval though, with Rossi drawing Villarreal level in the 42nd minute.

Carlos Marchena’s through-ball put Rossi in the clear and the Italy international clinically finished past Rene Adler.

The second half was a similarly closely-fought affair to the first period, and it needed the introduction of Nilmar to help Villarreal gain the upper hand.

The Brazil ace had barely stepped foot on the pitch when he got possession on the edge of the Leverkusen box, turned well and then, after getting a bit of luck after the ball rebounded back to him off a home defender, fired a low shot past Adler.

That was a blow for Leverkusen, but Jupp Heynckes promptly went down the other end and equalised just a few minutes later.

A cross to the far post arrived at the feet of Castro, who shaped to shoot then quickly cut inside Mario before drilling a low right-footed shot inside the near post.

Leverkusen continued to push for a third goal to try to gain an advantage to take to Spain, but it would end up being Villarreal who got the next – and final – breakthrough.

Santi Cazorla’s diagonal ball over the top was brought down well by Nilmar, who showed good speed to hold off the challenge of Daniel Schwaab before poking the ball through Adler’s legs for a dramatic late winner.

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Alan on the spot

Liverpool failed in their attempts to equal a club record 14-match unbeaten run in Europe with a 1-0 defeat against Braga in their last-16 first-leg Europa League tie in Portugal.

The location of the AXA Stadium is no stranger to displays of hard labour, having been carved into the face of the former Monte Castro quarry.

But Kenny Dalglish’s side were so devoid of movement at times they appeared to be taking inspiration from the huge chunks of rock still visible at one end of the unique ground.

They lacked pace and creativity without injured captain Steven Gerrard and the ineligible livewire forward Luis Suarez, who was instrumental in terrorising Manchester United in Sunday’s 3-1 victory.

Even a European debut for £35million record signing Andy Carroll after half-time could not turn things around after Brazilian Alan had converted a 17th-minute penalty.

The omens were there from the start with a side featuring three defensive midfielders – albeit with Jay Spearing patrolling the right side of a 4-2-3-1 – which still never looked comfortable or particularly solid.

They spent much of the opening quarter of an hour chasing possession, although the hosts never came close to threatening Jose Reina’s goal.

They were just getting into their stride, however, and in the 17th minute when Mossoro raced onto a through-ball to the right of the penalty area he was brought down by Sotirios Krygiakos’ mis-timed tackle.

The spot-kick was expertly slotted away by the Brazilian, who must have one of the least exotically-sounding names of all his countrymen.

Raul Meireles was given a hard time by Braga fans on his return to his homeland, having moved to Anfield from nearby Porto.

He had a rare shooting opportunity from a 25-yard free-kick but drilled his effort into the wall.

Pressure was growing on Liverpool though and centre-back Kaka, almost lived up to the reputation of his more illustrious namesake when he attempted a cheeky shot from a narrow angle after taking a corner but drilled the ball into the side-netting.

Left-back Silvio went even closer with a thunderous 35-yard volley which beat Reina but rattled back off the crossbar.

The visitors were crying out for some creativity and pace to be injected and to that end all seven substitutes were sent out to warm-up during the interval.

Ten minutes after the restart Carroll was sent on for Christian Poulsen, with Spearing dropping back into central midfield and Meireles moving to the right.

His early involvement saw him head over Meireles’ corner, although he was adjudged to have committed a foul in the act, and then had a shot deflected for a corner.

Carroll’s arrival certainly livened things up, with Braga unable to handle his aerial power; Liverpool’s problem was they were not proving him with decent enough crosses to threaten the hosts’ goal.

When Meireles did whip one in from the right it was Dirk Kuyt who controlled it and volleyed over the crossbar.

The closing stages became increasingly scrappy as the Reds pushed for an equaliser.

Carroll continued to win headers with confident regularity but they were mostly in non-threatening positions from Reina’s long punts up field, with absolutely no service coming from either flank with Cole cutting a particularly inconsequential figure.

Braga by no means look like a side who will pose a significant danger at Anfield in a week’s time but Liverpool’s greatest problems are of their own making.

They have scored once in five away matches in Europe this season. Their home record is much better, and they need it to be if they are to turn things around.

Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com

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Match Highlight

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