Guardiola targets Champions League milestone
Kane hails ‘massive’ victory as Spurs win Group H
MANCHESTER, UK, Nov 22, (AFP): Pep Guardiola set Manchester City the target of becoming the first English club to win all six of their Champions League group matches after they secured top spot in Group F.
Raheem Sterling struck in the 88th minute to give City a 1-0 win over Feyenoord on Tuesday, which — allied to Shakhtar Donetsk’s 3-0 loss at Napoli — guaranteed Guardiola’s side first place in the group. 2014.
Guardiola fielded a side showing seven changes from Saturday’s 2-0 win at Leicester City and it took until the dying stages at the Etihad Stadium for his charges to wear Feyenoord down.
Sterling swapped passes with Ilkay Gundogan before haring into the box and neatly lifting a shot over goalkeeper Brad Jones, his former Liverpool team-mate.
Including their victory on penalties over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the League Cup, City have now won their last 17 games in all competitions.
Guardiola used the occasion to hand a debut to 17-year-old midfield starlet Phil Foden and a first Champions League appearance to 18-year-old Spanish midfielder Brahim Diaz.
“I want to say a big congratulations to the academy,” said the City manager.
“All the club has to be so proud to have two young players of 17, 18 years old making their first appearances in the Champions League.
“For the academy, all the guys who’ve been working for a long time, the scouting, to search for huge talents — I put them on the field, but the guys who have worked with them deserve credit.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane hailed his side’s “massive” achievement of winning their Champions League group after coming from behind to win 2-1 at Borussia Dortmund.
Spurs clinched top spot in Group H after goals by Kane and Son Heungmin sealed victory after Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave the hosts a first-half lead.
The result took already-qualified Tottenham to 13 points and consigned holders Real Madrid to second place in the group with a game left.
“It’s massive, an unbelievable night for us, for the fans, for the club to finish top of the group with one game to
Real Madrid’s Luka Modric (left), and APOEL’s Nuno Morais challenge for the ball during the Champions League Group H soccer match between APOEL Nicosia and Real Madrid at GSP Stadium,
in Nicosia, on Nov 21. (AP)
spare,” Kane told BT Sport.
“Everyone was down on us before the group.
“It’s a tough place to come and win. Fantastic night.”
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino said Kane’s goal four minutes into the second half kick-started Spurs.
“The Harry Kane goal turned things around. It’s a fantastic achievement to be top of the table as group winners — it’s a big deal for us,” said Pochettino.
The Argentinian said it was the perfect response to Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by rivals Arsenal in the Premier League.
Travelling Spurs fans sang “Are you watching, Arsenal?” long before the final whistle in Dortmund.
“When you lose a derby, you try to turn the feeling around, the fans showed they are happy and we are proud,” said the Spurs coach.
Finishing as group winners improves Tottenham’s chances of avoiding the bigger clubs in the last 16, but Pochettino is only looking forward.
“It’s over for us now. I’m happy to be top of the table, but we have to keep looking forward,” he said.
“I’m proud of the team, they are doing a fantastic job and they need to be confident.
“The second half was fantastic. I think the whole team was very good.”
Kane scored his first goal for 30 days and Pochettino praised the England striker.