PORTO 1, MANCHESTER CITY 2
Roberto Mancini was full of praise for his side after they fight back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 and take charge of the Europa League tie against current holders Porto.
Mancini said:
“I think we played a good game tonight.
“We had 3 or 4 chances to score in first half and were really unlucky, and in the second half we played really well.
“I wanted us to play as we know how to. In the second half we played better but we had 7 or 8 chances to score in the game and didn’t leave Porto any chances to score.”
Yaya Toure put his African Cup of Nations heartbreak behind him and produced a trademark late surge into the box and squared the ball to offer Sergio Aguero a simple tap-in to complete a City comeback as they won 2-1 in Porto after going behind to an early goal.
Silvestre Varela had put Porto into a shock first half 1-0 lead after a great run a cross by Hulk found the Porto man ahead of his markers and in a position to put the home side into the lead.
City had been unlucky to go behind in the first half after they had the better chances but they soon equalised in the second half after an own goal by Alvaro Pereira who shouldered the ball past his own ‘keeper under extreme pressure from Mario Balotelli.
There had been uncomfirmed reports that Balotelli had been racially abused during the game and the Italian seemed sullen after forcing the equaliser but City had the final word after Aguero’s well worked winner.
City will go back to the Etihad knowing that a clean sheet will see them into the next round of the Europa League but if they progress further in the competition they may regret the raft of unnecessary bookings that they attracted in the second half. Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany, Nigel De Jong, Gareth Barry, Samir Nasri and Micah Richards will be suspended for a game if they attract another booking at the Etihad next week.