EURO FLOPS COULD COST PELLEGRINI DEAR

VINCENT KOMPANY has put Manchester City’s latest Champions League setback down to old-fashioned bad luck but Manuel Pellegrini’s ongoing travails in Europe will not be viewed so sympathetically in the Etihad Stadium boardroom. Imperious in the Barclays Premier League so far this season, Pellegrini’s City team were undone once again on Europe’s biggest stage as they lost 2-1 at home to Juventus. Leading by a goal after an hour, City couldn’t convert subsequent chances and were left embarrassed by two late goals from last season’s beaten finalists. ‘We were controlling the game, and then we conceded twice,’ said defender Eliaquim Mangala. ‘At this level, you can’t concede goals like that. They have a quality team. We paid for our mistakes right away. ‘In the Premier League, I think you’re allowed a bit more... not mistakes, but some moments when you are a bit less focused. That is not possible in the Champions League.’ Certainly the quality of the opposition was high on Tuesday but the European naivety of Pellegrini’s team is something that will only be tolerated for so long by a City ownership desperate to see their club move forward this time on the biggest stage of all. Afterwards City captain Kompany (below) attempted to accentuate some positives and said: ‘We have started our Champions League campaign in a totally different way than the last few years. In fact there’s no problem after this defeat. I’m less worried than in the previous years. ‘It was not a panic game and we didn’t have the feeling that we didn’t know what to do. We just played against a tough opponent, the finalist of last season. ‘They were very efficient: they buried the game in a very good way. We were a bit unlucky, but are still confident for what’s coming.’ After Tuesday’s game City officials were at a loss how to explain another European disappointment. Pellegrini wasn’t terribly convincing either. What is clear, though, is that City’s problems at home in Europe continue to trouble them. Some of those games have been against tough opposition with clubs like Bayern Munich and Barcelona regular visitors to the Etihad Stadium in recent seasons. City, though, have also struggled against teams such as CSKA Moscow, Ajax, Roma and Napoli and it is a problem Pellegrini must address ahead of crucial games against Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach in the coming weeks. ‘There was really nothing to be worried about when we scored. We were in control,’ said Kompany. ‘I understand and I accept that people will draw conclusions again after this defeat, but I really feel this campaign is different than the others before. It really felt different. ‘Juventus are smart Italians. I think Juventus’s second goal was really good. We could have finished it off earlier, though. Most times that isn’t a problem for us, but this time it was. After they scored, they played with 11 in their box. Not nine, not 10, but 11. ‘I wouldn’t have liked to be an attacking player at that moment. Juventus are just a good and very disciplined team. They know where to stand, how to position. They deadlocked the game.’ Kompany was taken off with a tight calf but has claimed there is no problem. ‘It was just a precaution,’ he said.