UEFA Cup - Superb City claim win at Schalke

Eurosport - Fri, 28 Nov 09:56:00 2008

Manchester City guaranteed their progression from Group A with an impressive 2-0 victory over Schalke at the Veltins Arena in Gelsinkirchen.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 UEFA Cup Manchester City Schalke-Man City Ireland - 0

After Racing Santander's 2-2 draw at Paris St-Germain, City cannot finish any lower than third in their group as they have six points with two matches to play.

Schalke, second on four points, and Racing, fourth on two points, have only one game remaining.

Benjani got the opener against the run of play just after the half-hour before the impressive Stephen Ireland (pcitured) scored his seventh goal of the season on 67 minutes to secure the win.

It was a fine victory for City, following up on their defeat of Arsenal at the weekend and coming against the meanest defence in Bundesliga - and all this without injured talisman Robinho, somewhat quashing talk of Hughes's side being a one-man team.

Schalke had the first effort on goal after a cagey start to the match when Jermaine Jones was found after making a run between the two City centre-backs, although his low effort from a tightening angle was tipped around the far post by Joe Hart's fine save.

With the home side gradually beginning to look more composed on the ball, they began to threaten in attack.

Vincent Kompany was moved to centre-back with Micah Richards at right-back and the Belgian was forced to block a fierce Ivan Rakitic volley from the edge of the box before Richards headed clear with Hart caught in no-man's land when he failed to meet a cross from the right.

But it was City who took the lead thanks to an incisive counter-attack just after the half-hour.

Kompany started the move when he won the ball in midfield before Daniel Sturridge attacked his man down the left: the youngster's low cross-shot looked to have missed everyone, until Benjani popped up at the back post to sidefoot into the roof of the net.

And the visitors almost doubled their lead eight minutes later. Sturridge and Ireland launched a two-man counter attack, with Ireland's first-time effort palmed clear by Neuer. Sturridge picked up the rebound and scuffed an effort goalwards, and Ireland turned the ball into the net - although the linesman correctly spotted that he had drifted a yard beyond the final defender.

City were content to allow Schalke to have all of the ball at the start of the second half, the Premier League side content to counter-attack when they could.

Shaun Wright-Phillips, playing in a central role, tested Neuer with a fizzing effort from distance before almost surprising the young keeper with a free-kick at goal from a very tight angle on the hour-mark.

City did double their lead on 67 minutes when man-of-the-match Ireland played a one-two with Benjani, the return pass looping up in the air off a deflection before the midfielder bravely stabbed the ball underneath the on-rushing Neuer.

Joe Hart was called upon to make a fine save in the final ten minutes, somehow getting an arm to substitute Gerald Asamoah's close-range header from an inswinging free-kick, but City closed out the victory in some comfort.

In the other Group A clash, La Liga side Racing came back from two goals down to earn a point at PSG.

Former PSV, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Fenerbahce striker Mateja Kezman put the hosts ahead after five minutes and Peguy Luyindula doubled their lead on 32 minutes.

But an own-goal by Sammy Traore five minutes before half-time got Racing back into it and midfielder Gonzalo Colsa completed the fightback 10 minutes into the second half.

Alex Sharratt / Eurosport

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  1. ALL ENGLISH FOOTBALL
    PREMIER LEAGUE – FA CUP – CARLING­ CUP
    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – UEFA CUP
    ALL MATCHES ON WEB: ­ PREMIER LEAGUE, LIGA, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA AND CHAMPIONS­ LEAGUE - UEFA CUP
    ALL THE HIGH-LIGHTS OF PREMIER­ LEAGUE MATCHES

    From go to www.premiership.altervista.org, on Fri 28 Nov 4:03PM

  2. what you have to remember is that most clubs have two­ types of supporters,the loyal ones who follow their­ team through thick & thin & the fair weather­ ones who only go when their team is doing well.when i­ have been to a few grounds this season the amount of­ empty seats never fails to amaze me & all because­ their team is not doing so well.

    From ., on Fri 28 Nov 12:09PM

  3. Man United ........... watch out - you are the next.­
    Well done City we are crossing our fingers for the big­ Sunday's game. We desprately want 3 points and­ climb up.
    love Manchester City

    From razi_x2006, on Fri 28 Nov 10:04AM

  4. stephen ireland player of the year

    From orange2tuf, on Fri 28 Nov 9:31AM

  5. "Schalke Aufwiedersehen, Shalke­ Aufwiedersehen" made me smile as did the whole­ performance. Lets finish off a fine week with another 3­ points from the rags.

    From Andy, on Fri 28 Nov 8:59AM

  6. Danny Sturridge will be a 20million pound player in 2­ years time.

    From luketaylor69, on Fri 28 Nov 8:45AM

  7. gud city. Man u watch out!!

    From Tj, on Fri 28 Nov 8:21AM

  8. Good effort Man city! Ireland again!!! Dont get rid of­ this guy. This is a prime example of how to step up to­ the mark when you know your place could be threatened­ in the future. He's got to play at his best to keep­ his place and he's doing it...very well. Good stuff

    From Tom, on Fri 28 Nov 6:58AM

  9. Great job by Ireland and Benjani, hope City can carry­ on with this stunning run of form and beat Man U, I am­ hoping for an upset in the Premier League this season,­ perhaps someone outside the Big 4 will win?

    From quilava_ex, on Fri 28 Nov 6:00AM

  10. hi Kuschie I'm not an English football fan but if­ you want talk about history than it's LIVERPOOL not­ MAN U and if MAN U won titles last few years than­ it's money again sorry to say that but that is­ fact. Because Man U used to have more money more than­ any other english foot ball club, and when chelsea got­ the money, they did the same as Man U if there's­ any clup in England that well be Liverpool for sure. so­ this it how should be 1# Liverpool and after that you­ can choise which ever you like. all that as you said­ its all about history and this is the history. if­ Liverpool had a bad time with Man U. I would like to­ let you know that Brazil had a bad time with France.­ that dose not mean France is a better side. again from­ the history side you can tell so its the same between­ liverpool and man u. I hope you got what I ment.

    From gewashy, on Fri 28 Nov 5:20AM

  11. Donzy when u say sad u mean like u on the city page?

    From BallsDeep, on Fri 28 Nov 2:17AM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    People are so forgetful... They say "United are a­ 1 man team, without Ronaldo, they would be nothing,­ Rooney is useless". Why is it that people forget­ that United have been the dominant force in English­ football for the past 20 years. Also where did all­ these Chelsea supporters come from? 5 years ago I only­ knew 1 Chelsea supporter, now all of a sudden­ everywhere you go, there is a Chelsea fan. They have­ all come out of the woodwork. I live in New York, but­ used to live in England and used to follow Man United,­ I lived in London, but when I could get to Old­ Trafford, I would. Good luck to City, I think the­ investor bought the wrong club, by mistake, but clubs­ have bought titles in the past. leeds, Blackburn... You­ can buy titles, but you can never buy history.

    From Kuschie, on Fri 28 Nov 1:09AM

  13. blue noses will get thumped "in your cup­ final" on sunday,sad @#$%..

    From don, on Fri 28 Nov 1:04AM

  14. nearley forgot ,, well done city and please get steven­ ireland to play for us again . ireland needs ireland­ ..................

    From fgjfg, on Fri 28 Nov 12:00AM

  15. im an arsenal fan but i thuink the bubble will burst at­ united this season
    rooney wants to be fergies lil boy­ but fergie is so far up ronaldos @#$% he cant fix whats­ about to happen with rooney tevez berbatov and the­ other 3 idiots he bought, nani carrick and anderson he­ has more money than brains the senile old gett
    city to­ win 2-1 on sunday and the gunners to draw at chelski

    From fgjfg, on Thu 27 Nov 11:49PM

  16. Fergie "city aren't a threat yet".
    and­ again Fergie "Not Focused On City Threat"
    Why­ talk about us then?
    You need a win surely, any win,­ home or away.
    Can't score a goal in last two games­ LMAO.
    All mind games.
    How many packets of Extra will he­ be chewing on sunday?
    C'mon u blues!

    From Jd, on Thu 27 Nov 11:14PM

  17. "Hi-Ho-Hi-Ho We've got Robinho!!"
    ­ "Petrov,Jo and Elano!!"
    ­ "Hi-Ho-Hi-Ho-Hi-Ho-Hi-Ho!!"

    "City­ Til' I Die!!"

    From Billy, on Thu 27 Nov 11:10PM

  18. Watch out United, we beat you twice last season. Ha!­ Ha!

    From CRAIG, on Thu 27 Nov 11:10PM

  19. CITY 4 UTD 2
    THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE!!

    From G G, on Thu 27 Nov 11:05PM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I am an open-mineded single girl who love sports. I­ want to end my single life by meeting
    a guy who likes­ sports too. Let's mingle at the club ___ kISs M­ ill iona ireS Co m __

    From sexyhotddsdff, on Thu 27 Nov 10:50PM
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