Manchester: Manchester City kept up the pressure on Bayern Munich at the top of Champions League Group D with a 4-2 victory over Viktoria Plzen at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
Although City dominated they lacked finesse in front of goal. The hosts took the lead on 33 minutes when Sergio Aguero converted a penalty after Frantisek Rajtoral was harshly judged to have handled. Tomas Horava levelled 10 minutes later for a confident Plzen side, flashing a great drive past goalkeeper Joe Hart and into the top corner.
City dominated the second half and led again on 65 minutes through the always-busy Samir Nasri who turned in a Jesus Navas cross but again they conceded an equaliser when the defence backed off a fine passing move and Stanislav Tecl side-footed home.
Substitute Alvaro Negredo tapped in at the far post from a Navas pass to make it 3-2 on 78 minutes and Edin Dzeko's header completed the scoring a minute from time. Leaders Bayern (15 points), who beat CSKA Moscow 3-1 earlier, and second-placed City (12) had already clinched their places in the last 16.
Plzen looked anything but a team at the bottom of the group and without a point as they took the game to Manuel Pelligrini's side in the first half.
Nasri went close after 14 minutes when he played a one-two with Fernandinho and hit the bar with a rising shot from just outside the penalty area.
The France midfielder then wasted the best chance of the first half when he volleyed wide from close in after good work by Aguero who worringly for City went off injured at halftime.
Plzen showed some neat touches and came close to taking a shock lead on 27 minutes when Rajtoral flashed the ball across the face of the goal. The same player then conceded a penalty six minutes later and Aguero sent keeper Matus Kozacik the wrong way.
City were wasteful in the second half with several misplaced passes as they closed in on goal.
Hart, back in the side after being left out following some indifferent form, pulled off a couple of flying saves as Plzen pressed forward before City stepped up a gear towards the end.
Comments
0 comment