SILVA RIDES TO CITY’S RESCUE
Spain star strikes late to clinch nailbiter
Mikel ArtetA had seen this film before. He saw Pep Guardiola racing towards the halfway line, well outside his technical area, to give the assistant referee a piece of his mind.
the Manchester City manager had just watched referee Damir Skomina choke. With the score at 1-1, leroy Sane was clear with 18 minutes left to play when he was felled by Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann. A definite penalty.
Skomina was in a trance and did not signal a goal-kick for some time. Guardiola was apoplectic, and not for the first time after a flurry of questionable decisions.
Arteta noticed what was happening, hauled his boss back to the technical area, and the assistant’s savviness might have averted another continental incident.
this was Guardiola’s first Champions league game back since a ban for clashing with a referee during City’s Champions league home defeat by liverpool last season.
However, there was no holding back the manager when David Silva scored with three minutes to play. Pouncing on Stefan Posch’s lapse inside Hoffenheim’s area, Silva nudged past Baumann. three points — and all after going behind inside 43 seconds.
City are not doing things easily but are finally up and running in europe after losing their opening Group F game at home to lyon. ‘Maybe for the future it’s going to be really good for us to live this,’ Guardiola said.
‘You cannot go to the quarters or semis without living it. We are a step below the history of liverpool, the Spanish teams and Bayern Munich. A quarter-final for us is a huge success.’
that Guardiola shouted at the fourth official at full time told the story. Vincent kompany spoke of a ‘trend’ in refereeing decisions. Guardiola preferred not to talk for fear of another suspension.
City feel aggrieved with what UeFA are serving them. But, for now at least, they can feel satisfied at negotiating a tricky tie.
City were breathless and brainless in equal measure, architects of manoeuvring Hoffenheim out of their shape but also of their own downfall before the break.
Nicolas Otamendi was at fault for ishak Belfodil’s early opener. He was unsure of his positioning as kerem Demirbay split the central defenders — kompany attempted to play offside —and Belfodil slipped the ball under ederson. City needed a wake-up call and were level seven minutes later. Silva’s dead- eyed precision set Sane away behind his marker, angling towards goal in trademark fashion and Sergio Aguero simply poached a goal from the German’s cut-back.
City had more of the ball, more of the chances, but Hoffenheim — 12th in the Bundesliga — were never truly under siege.
Aguero, however, was brutish up front for City, drawing a superb save from Baumann and firing a volley wide on the stretch. Sane was key to the latter, creating the chance by slaloming past four blue shirts in a ridiculously tight space. He has rediscovered that magic from last season and it will not have gone unnoticed by his manager that he mopped up when ederson completely misjudged a long ball as Hoffenheim countered 30 yards from goal too. ‘He was quite good, yeah,’ Guardiola smiled. ‘i don’t want to talk too much as he is still young and has to learn.’ Fernandinho could count himself lucky not to have received a second booking after fouling Pavel kaderabek on the break and the hosts found a second wind. then Hoffenheim screamed red when kyle Walker went through kaderabek with studs showing. City screamed frustration when Sane went down. they screamed louder when Silva got them out of jail and that is what matters.