MAN CITY 2, SEVILLA FC 1
It was a case of another late show as Kevin De Bruyne’s stoppage-time winner gave Manchester City a massive Champions League win against Sevilla FC at the Etihad Sradium.
Suddenly City, thanks to this victory, are well on the way to the knockout phase with six points from their three games in Group D.
What a remarkable turnabout about losing at home to Juventus in their first game as back-to-back victories at Borussia Monchengladbach and against Sevilla, both with last-gasp goals, have suddenly transformed the group.
City are suddenly second and only one point adrift of Juventus. And in the absence of the injured Sergio Aguero and David Silva, it was an even more special victory which was earned courtesy of goals of an Adil Rami own goal and strike from De Bruyne who also scored the winner at the death in the game at Monchengladbach.
And it was the “character” of his side’s display that delighted City manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Pellegrini said: “It was a very close game, but we showed we have the character to play to the last minute.
“There has been a lot of criticism of the team in Europe but in the last game and in this one we showed we have the character to win having been 1-0 down in both.”
Pellegrini added that he took off Wilfried Bony to push De Bruyne and Yaya Toure further upfield.
“We made the change because we were not creating chances and Yaya created the goal,” he explained.
Pellegrini added it is far better to go into Sunday’s derby on the back of a win as opposed to a draw or loss.
City’s manager would not be drawn on the decision to leave captain Vincent Kompany on the bench again after incurring his wrath for playing for Belgium in a meaningless Euro qualifier against Israel against his wishes as he was only just returning after injury.
City began with the side that kicked off Saturday’s home game against AFC Bournemouth which they won 6-1.
And they began brightly with Jesus Navas, Bony and De Bruyne all having early chances.
But Sevilla came closest to making a breakthrough after 17 minutes when Konoplyanka, an Ukrainian linked with both Everton and Liverpool in the recent past, struck the frame of the goal with a free kick with Grzegorz Krychowiak’s follow up effort brilliantly kept out by Joe Hart.
City did not heed the warning falling behind after half an hour when Vitola cut the ball back from the right for Konoplyanka to sweep home at the far post.
Significantly it was the 12th goal City have conceded without Kompany who was again in the bench. With him in the back line, they have let it only one goal.
But they were back on level terms within six minutes when Yaya Toure’s trickery created a chance for Raheem Sterling whose shot hit keeper Sergio Rico before rebounding to Bony whose shot was off target until it deflected in off Rami.
Sevilla ought to have regained the lead shortly before the break but Kevin Gameiro, who beat the offside trap, saw his header fly over the crossbar.
And Gameiro will be disappointed with another free header early in the second half that also cleared the bar when he ought to have hit the target.
City made their first change on the hour when Pablo Zabaleta was replaced by Aleksandar Kolarov with Bacary Sagna switching from left to right back to accommodate the Serbian.
The second half was proving to be a more cagy affair and far less open than the opening period.
The lively Gameiro had another chance as he deflected Vicente Iborra’s shot just wide of the upright as the visitors remained a threat.
Sevilla had another great chance when substitute Michael Krohn-Dehli’s shot was deflected into the side netting.
City made their second change with 14 minutes left when Fernando Reges replaced Bony as De Bruyne was pushed up front and Toure also into a more advanced role.
And the switch paid off as De Bruyne came up with the winner in stoppage time.
Toure made a break from midfield and found Belgium De Bruyne who cut in from the right before firing low to the right of keeper Rico.