BARCA SCORE SIX TO MAKE HISTORY
Pep’s men fail to beat Stoke and miss big chance to close gap
BARCELONA scored six goals to deliver one of the greatest results in European history last night. They overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit, with the clinching goal coming in the 96th minute to knock out Paris Saint-Germain at the Nou Camp 6-5 on aggregate. Sergi Roberto scored the key goal after Lionel Messi and Neymar had both been among the goalscorers earlier in the game. No side had ever qualified from a Champions League knockout tie having been down 4-0 from the first leg. In the Premier League Manchester City drew 0-0 with Stoke, leaving them 10 points behind leaders Chelsea.
BEFORE this game the one team in England that looked capable of a run of results to place a modicum of pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea was improving Manchester City. We can view this result, then, as another step towards the title for Antonio Conte’s team.
Imperious in parts against Sunderland on Sunday, Pep Guardiola’s City looked sluggish and short of ideas at the Etihad Stadium last night. Stoke, on the other hand, were excellent in terms of their attitude and application and thoroughly deserved a point against one of the league’s top clubs.
Guardiola rested players ahead of challenges to come but this City team should have had more than enough. As it was, they struggled to create proper chances at all and only really found something of their true selves once David Silva emerged from the substitutes’ bench with half an hour to go.
There were flickers of life from City in the second half. Sergio Aguero wasted one half chance and then Leroy Sane and Silva did likewise with much better ones.
But to ignore Stoke’s contribution earlier in the game would be unfair. Mark Hughes’ team were the better team in the first half and would have led with a little more poise of their own in the final third.
With an FA Cup quarter-final tie with Middlesbrough to come on Saturday and a Champions League lead to defend in Monaco next week, Guardiola’s selection here seemed to point to a shift of priorities. There was no Raheem Sterling in the squad while Silva and John Stones were on the bench. It was, in all honesty, hard to dispute the City manager’s thinking.
Stoke had some interesting team news of their own, too, as Hughes, once a manager here of course, gave January signing Saido Berahino the first start of his Stoke career. The question was only whether the team from the Potteries would see enough of the ball to give the former West Bromwich Albion player a platform.
As it was, Stoke started well. Their record against top teams under Hughes is quite wretched and recently the Welshman suggested his team had been in awe of Tottenham after a heavy defeat at White Hart Lane.
Here there was little sign of that, at least early on. Stoke had been instructed to get bodies high up the pitch whenever possible and they may have scored early on with a little more fortune.
In truth a decent cross from the left by Erik Pieters should not have caused the City defence that much trouble. But left back Gael Clichy slipped as he moved to track Mame Biram Diouf and had the Stoke forward’s first time shot been more powerful it may have not have allowed Willy Caballero to make the save to his right.
That was a warning to City, at least. Soon after Diouf ’s effort, Stoke came forward again and this time it was Ramadan Sobhi who carried the threat. The Egyptian beat Nicolas Otamendi twice down the left side before delivering a cross that the City defence just about managed to clear.
Sobhi should have taken encouragement from the ease with which he beat his opponent and on the touchline Hughes urged his players for more of the same.
City eventually found a way in to the game, of course. They always do in the end. But it was a scrappy affair at times with any attempt at fluency often interrupted by niggly fouls and unnecessary stoppages. Whether it was fatigue or because they were playing on what was a Champions League night in other parts of Europe but City looked a little flat and so were the crowd.
Yaya Toure tried to liven things up a bit with a couple of buccaneering runs through the middle while Jesus Navas looked keen to run at Pieters down his side of the field. It was hard for City to create clear chances, though, and an Aleksandar Kolarov free-kick — saved at his near post by Lee Grant in the 24th minute — was as close as they came to breaking through.
Stoke, meanwhile, did fashion more opportunity as Bruno Martins Indi moved on to Joe Allen free-kick to volley down in to the ground and up in to the goalkeeper’s arms.
As the hour mark approached the home crowd began to voice a little frustration. Before this game, a win would have looked like a given.
Berahino had worked hard without much success up until this point but did get the chance to exert his influence when Diouf flicked a long pass in to his path early in the second period. Berahino seemed to get away from Otamendi but by the time the shot arrived with his right foot the City defender recovered to block it.
Soon after that Kevin De Bruyne found himself in an equal amount of space at the other end. The Belgian’s pass towards Sergio Aguero was under hit, though, and prompted De Bruyne to slump to the ground holding his ankle. He did seem to run it off and when Silva was introduced moments later it was Navas who made way.
At least there had been a proper City chance by this point. Leroy Sane broke to feed Aguero but the South American’s shot was headed away by Pieters. Then De Bruyne set up Sane and his shot was fired wastefully over from 12 yards.
Silva’s introduction improved City and it was a surprise to see the Spaniard waste his team’s best chance with 20 minutes to go. The one-two Silva played with De Bruyne to find space in the area was perfect but the low left-foot shot went wide.