UEFA: End of The Road For Man City

The journey is over for lack-luster Manchester City who were out played in the UEFA Championship by brilliant Monaco side yesterday. It ended 3-1 but on goals aggregate 6-6, Monacho won on away goals consideration

For six second-half minutes, the dream was alive for Manchester City but a lapse in concentration after a brilliant first-half display sends Monaco through.

Pep Guardiola is used to setting impressive records but this is a record he’ll want to forget:

Manchester City are the first team in Champions League history to be eliminated in a knockout tie after scoring five goals in the first leg.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, talking to BT Sport:

“We played exceptional second half but we forgot to do that in the first. We wanted to defend aggressively. We were better in the second but it wasn’t enough.

“Normally we play to a good level but here we didn’t. We will learn. The team does not have a lot of experience.

“The second half we had the chances and we didn’t take them and that is why we are out. And set-pieces are so important at this level. Barcelona and Real Madrid scored from them last week. We were not there and we were not there in the first 45 minutes.

“We will improve but this competition is so demanding. Sometimes we have to be special and be lucky. We were not.”

 Manchester City defender John Stones: “Very sloppy. Not up to our standard in the first half. We wanted to correct that but we weren’t clinical enough in both boxes. We didn’t score enough and weren’t defensively solid enough.

“The second half didn’t reflect the whole score line. We were the City people know from this season. We should have scored more. It is a difficult one for us to take. We should have done better and deserve to be in the next round.

Monaco Vs Man City

                                                           Possession

41%                                                                                                                   59%

                                                              Shots

8                                                                                                                           6

                                                       Shots on Target

4                                                                                                                             3

 

                                                                 Corners

3                                                                                                                            6

 

Fouls

12                                                                                                                         14

 

In another match played in the day, Atletico Madrid’s progress into the last eight was not quite as dramatic as Monaco’s.  They drew 0-0 with Bayer Leverkusen to go through with a 4-2 aggregate win.