Manchester City claimed their place in the Champions League last 16 with a commanding 5-2 win over CSKA Moscow. A brace from the inform Sergio Aguero and a hat-trick from Alvaro Negredo were enough to give City a six point cushion over their third placed opponents, with two games left against Bayern Munich and Viktoria Plzen.
The game had barely even started when David Silva and Samir Nasri had linked up to turn the right side of the CSKA defence into a pretzel, with jinking runs and twists and turns the pair linked well and when Silva let the ball run across him and received the ball at the byline in the penalty area he was brought down by former Manchester United player Zoran Tosic with two minutes played. Aguero converted the penalty and the Etihad crowd seemed in a little bit of shock to be ahead so early.
City seemed focused from the start and ready to put to bed any doubt from previous seasons. They have faced tough groups in the last two seasons in the competition and haven’t made the last 16 add to that the sour, ill taste from the incident in the first game between these two and City didn’t need much encouragement to show no mercy. Yaya Toure was captain and the crowd got behind their man from the off, singing his name loud, the message was clear.
Samir Nasri was at the heart of a lot of City’s build up play and provided the assist for Aguero’s second. The Argentinian then turned from scorer to creator for Negredo to bag his first, the pair linked well, the Spaniard finding his partner on the wing and being on the end of the return pass to score from six yards,
The second half came and Nasri picked up where he had started. The Frenchman found Negredo with a first time flick from a Toure pass for an easy finish for his second. City maintained their assertiveness and looked to cause as much damage to CSKA as possible and Negredo had two glorious opportunities to get his hat-trick which finally came at the death when he headed in a James Milner cross.
CSKA found the net twice themselves in the game, exploiting the void where Vincent Kompany usually patrols, their first was a run right at the heart of the defence and around Costel Pantilimon by Seydou Doumbia, the Ivorian then converted a penalty in the second half after being felled by Gael Clichy.
David Moyes went into the game against Real Sociedad knowing his Manchester United side could go steaming into the last 16 with their heads held high after finding form domestically to match their Champions League endeavours.
It wasn’t to be in this match for United. They missed two glaring opportunities to put qualification to bed and concentrate solely on their league form for the next few games. Robin Van Persie and Ashley Young were two second half substitutes replacing Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez. Young was judged to have been brought down in the box by Markel Bergara. It was a controversial decision as again Young made no effort to mend his flailing reputation for diving and perhaps justice was done for Sociedad as Van Persie missed the penalty.
Add the penalty miss to Hernandez’s miss from six yards out earlier in the second half and it was a frustrating evening for United, Marouane Fellaini compounding the misery with his sending off in the last minute for a second yellow card.
United, Leverkusen and Shaktar Donetsk sit on eight, seven and five points respectively and the group is open after both games in the group ended in draws. On paper Moyes will expect his side to still qualify and only really need a win from their remaining two games.
Gareth Bale again added some evidence to prove that the boy from Wales will not be overawed by his move to one of the biggest clubs in the world, price tag, what price tag?
The former Spurs player is linking up well with his Real Madrid team mates and Ronaldo in particular. The two were the difference in a vital game for Juventus to win if they have aspirations to qualify from the group.
Juve dominated at times and forced two fantastic saves from Iker Casillas who returned to the side. The Italian side took advantage of Madrid’s defensive frailties of late and only had the Spain keeper to thank for not conceding more as Casillas saved from a deflected Paul Pogba cross and a Claudio Marchisio header.
Madrid conceded their fifth penalty in three games when Pogba was tripped by a sliding Raphael Varane and Casillas was finally beaten from the spot by Arturo Vidal.
All of the evenings goals were scored over an eighteen minute period spanning the latter part of the first half and the beginning of the second half. Seven minutes into the second period and the equaliser for Madrid.
Ronaldo anticipated a Martin Caceres pass and got a toe to the ball, the deflection rolled into Karim Benzema’s path who played through the Portuguese player to finish past Gigi Buffon.
Ronaldo and Bale have been linking well recently and Ronaldo turned assist akee to provide Bale with the opportunity to take Real ahead with a fine shot from the edge of the area.
Juventus 2-1 down knew they had to take at least a point from the game which was deserved after the way they have played over the two games between the sides. They got the equaliser they desired five minutes after Bales goal from a text book downward header from Fernando Llorente, Caceres making small amends for his error with the cross.
Madrid are top on ten points in the group and Juventus need to hope for some favourable results if they are to qualify, they sit bottom on three points, one point off Copenhagen–who beat Galatasaray 1-0–and the Turkish side level on four points.
It’s by no means over for Juve. Two games left, six points available, if Real Madrid and Juventus do their job and win their games against the other two they can qualify, however with real now through to the last 16, how much effort they will apply is a concern for Antonio Conte.
Have a look at our Wednesday Preview and Review for the other sides in the Champions League later.
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