No Swiss breeze as City reach quarters

MANCHESTER City manager Pep Guardiola made six changes for the second leg of his side’s Champions League last-16 tie against Basel tonight, with the Premier League leaders holding a 4-0 lead after last month’s first leg.

And despite Gabriel Jesus getting the home side off to the perfect start inside the opening 10 minutes, the Swiss champions responded with goals from Mohamed Elyounoussi and Michael Lang to ensure Guardiola’s side slumped to a rare defeat on home soil – their first since December 2016.

The Spaniard opted to rest the likes of Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and Ederson. David Silva also did not feature after being given time off for personal reasons.

Veteran midfielder Yaya Toure was handed his first start in 13 games while 17-year-old Phil Foden was also given an opportunity. Striker Jesus returned to the starting XI for the first time since suffering a knee injury on New Year’s Eve.

Yet his was not enough to prevent Pep Guardiola’s side progressing to the quarter-finals, with Gabriel Jesus’ early goal helping them to an overall 5-2 aggregate success, but it was still an unexpected slip.

City defender John Stones told BT Sport: “We’re through to the next round and that’s that matters. We wanted to better last season, when we got knocked out at Monaco. It hurt, we wanted to put it right and we’ve done that - but Kane then surged past Chielto convert a low cross from And barely three minutes we’re not happy with lini and rounded Buffon only to Kieran Trippier. later Juve had turned the tie on how we played. find the side-netting, albeit from It was not the cleanest of its head, Dybala – who missed “There are a lot of AVING battled back a tight angle. strikes, Son scuffing the ball the first leg through injury – things we need to look from two goals down to Tottenham had a major let-off into the turf before it spun and racing through onto Higuain’s at, individually and as a secure a 2-2 draw in the when Douglas Costa raced past looped in between Chiellini and pass and dispatching his shot team. We weren’t at our first leg in Turin last month, Jan Vertonghen in the penalty Buffon, but it elicited the across the exposed Hugo Lloris best. We set ourselves Tottenham knew a clean sheet area and was clearly tripped by almighiest of roars around into the net. high standards and we would be enough to finish the the Spurs defender, but to the Wembley. Spurs tried to rouse themdid not hit that standard

disbelief of the Juve players PolJuve now had 45 minutes to selves again but found Chiellini but I think we’ve got a job and add Juve to the scalps ish referee Szymon Marciniak save their European season – in their way, the defender whipgood mentality about of Real Madrid and Borussia .”us gave nothing. and in the 64th minute they ping the ball from Kane’s foot Dortmund this season. M Meanwhile, Son had been gave themselves a chance. as he went to tap in Son’s cross. idfielder Yaya Toure

Yet Spurs were never likely to riled by a tangle with Andrea Higuain, the man who should Son was inches wide with a added: “They [Basel] sit back and in a breakneck Barzagli, who trod on the forprobably should have put the curler before Kane’s header deserved to win and start from the hosts, Son had a ward twice as he lay on the floor first leg out of Tottenham’s came back off a post and we’re not happy with snap-shot palmed out by veterfollowing a barge in the back. reach but for some poor misses, bounced on the line, only to be that. We have a game on an keeper Gianluigi Buffon He exacted revenge six minthis time made no mistake hacked clear by Barzagli in a Monday against Stoke with the rebound just evading utes before half-time, the South when he hooked in Sami Khedidramatic finale which spelled and we have to do better Kane and Dele Alli. Korean arriving at the far post ra’s header at the far post. heartbreak for Spurs. in that.” League glory will have to wait for another year at least.

H