Champions League: Hart failure as City suffer Euro mauling
MANCHESTER CITY 1 vs BAYERN MUNICH 3
MANCHESTER City manager Manuel Pellegrini conceded his team were outclassed by European champions Bayern Munich last night.
Goals from Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller and former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben saw City suffer their first home defeat in Europe since 2008 on a night to forget for Joe Hart.
A late strike from Alvaro Negredo proved scant consolation as Bayern finished the match with 10 men and Pellegrini was forced to admit his team were second best, though he still harbours hopes of qualifying from Group D.
“We played very badly and Bayern Munich were very good,” he said. “It was maybe not a decisive game to qualify, but it was important to see what level we’re playing at.
“We did not have possession of the ball and I don’t think we could make a change to fight with them for possession. We must revise a lot of things and try to do it with the players before the Everton game on Saturday.”
Bayern moved in front on seven minutes when Ribery took control of Rafinha’s cross-field pass, cut inside Jesus Navas and unleashed a low drive from 25 yards that beat Joe Hart too easily at his near post.
City were firmly on the back foot and fell further behind on 56 minutes when Muller beat the offside trap to latch onto Dante’s lofted through pass and rounded Hart before tapping in to the empty net.
Three minutes later Toni Kroos dispossessed Fernandinho and set up Robben to power past Hart at his near post and score for a fifth Champions League game in succession.
Muller hit the crossbar as Bayern continued to dominate, but City finally got a foothold in the game on 79 minutes when Negredo spun away from former City defender Jerome Boateng and fired in off the post from 16 yards.
With four minutes remaining Boateng was shown a straight red card for bringing down Yaya Toure on the edge of the box. And substitute David Silva rattled the crossbar with the resulting free-kick, but Bayern deservedly held firm.