Eurosport - Fri, 20 Mar 10:20:00 2009
Shay Given kept alive Manchester City's UEFA Cup dreams in Denmark with two exceptional penalty shoot-out saves after Aalborg's two late goals took the game to extra-time.
The Irish goalkeeper saved first from Thomas Augustinussen and then from Luton Shelton as all of City's players found the target to earn a quarter-final spot for Mark Hughes's team.
City had looked to be cruising into the last eight before an 85th-minute strike from Shelton and an injury-time penalty by Michael Jakobsen sent the match in to extra-time.
The first hour of the match passed relatively quietly, with City keeping their hosts at bay with ease and creating enough of their own chances to suggest that they would make it through at a canter.
Shaun Wright-Phillips looked in impressive form, tormenting Aalborg down the right flank and setting up early chances for Stephen Ireland and Ched Evans on two and 16 minutes.
Aalborg seemed content to sit back and hit speculative long balls up the pitch, all of which seemed easy pickings for a sharp-looking City defence.
And when Wright-Phillips again began to threaten in the second half - first making a great run on the hour mark, and hitting the crossbar on 82 minutes - it never looked like it would be anything but a quiet finish to the match.
Yet a penalty shout for Aalborg on 61 minutes had given them a huge injection of fighting spirit: Javier Garrido's tackle on Andreas Johansson certainly looked like it should have earned the hosts a spot kick, but the only thing they received was a yellow card for Kasper Risgard for protesting too vehemently.
But while Aalborg looked a much better side in the final 25 minutes they never looked like breaking through.
Yet with five minutes to go, Shelton got on the end of a cross from the right hand side when it was nodded down to him by Caca: the former Sheffield United man controlled the ball off his chest - and possibly his left arm, from the looks of the replay - before firing a right-foot shot past Given.
It seemed too little too late, but when Evans handled brainlessly from a corner in the 90th minute the referee had no option but to point to the spot - and Jakobsen smashed the penalty home to send the match in to extra-time.
Extra time passed with tired legs and speculative long balls, the only meaningful chance being Shelton's header on 102 minutes that missed the target wide to the left.
That only left Given to take centre stage - and secure City's place in the last-eight of the competition.
Comment 2 - 21 of 41
the same old city away from home - useless, clueless and toothless. VERY lucky boys to get through after conceding 2 goals in the last 5 minutes. Better buck your ideas up nowyou are in the last 8
united fan ere i hope city win euro & when they got the cash i said back then i hope city get decent players robinho looked like the signings was gonna come rolling in but some players snub city coz of lack of a history but i want city to become a regular top 4 side & edge out 1 of those dirty london clubs(spits) from the top 4 c'mon city fly the flag for the north even if it means bin dippers still stay in top 4
Please go now Hughes, your inept away day tactics are laughable.
17 u are such a thick c.u.n.t! yeah our teams win penalty shoot outs. but how many of them two teams u mentioned play for england. P.R.I.K!
lol at comment 17. how many english players and goal keepers do those two teams have then??
onlyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy holiganssssssssss legia&juventus&deen hag
there's only one Shay Given, a true geordie legend!
First Arsenal, now Manchester City.. Perhaps England will start doing better at penalties?
come on city!..dont be 2 cautious & get at them as tho it is 0-0. chase and dont let them settle.. pls dont sit right back on our own box & invite pressure! pls read this mark hughes...city!..city!..
Hope City have a great game tonight but Robinho pulls a hamstring in the 93rd minute and Bellamy falls of the physio table and is concussed for Saturday,good luck for tonight lads.
SAFC
HEY YOU GUY....WHY IS DAT YOU TALK WIV CRAZY MONKEY
erolflinn was an abused child
This Erolflinn guy sure sounds like a mentally retarded child..
i his just to recover from 4-1 beatings i his back for to say more truths for city of manchester his hit dat you his miss you big frend erol...i his fink so for sure
man city is not good to play football, day his big s_hit for sure
peter s is like it up him bum
chris w..is big moron
hjhfxd
thanks vqxwrks.... not sure why i've got a negative comment tho, all i did was listen to the news..
Go to Man City's official website. Bellamy has not travelled with the squad. He's staying at Eastlands with the physios getting prepared for the Sunderland match.
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