Wednesday February 22, 2012 Last 32 Finished Etihad Stadium

Manchester City 4 - 0 FC Porto

  • Agüero 1’
  • Dzeko 76’
  • Silva 84’
  • Pizarro 86’

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  1. City thrash Porto to advance

    City thrash Porto to advance

    Manchester City reached the last 16 of the Europa League after a 4-0 win over holders Porto at the Eithad Stadium sealed a 6-1 aggregate win More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Manchester City
    • FC Porto
    • 90+4 They play this one short and maintain possession against a City side happy to let them keep the ball until Mr. Stark blows the whistle! The holders are out, City march onwards! Thanks for joining me tonight, what did you make of the match? Can City go all the way? Let me know on Twitter - @liamhappe
    • 90+3' Corner is cleared but a distance effort clips Lescott and the visitors will have another corner.
    • 90+2 Defour! Hart pushes it around his near post! Porto have a corner as they look to perhaps end with their heads held high after all.
    • 90+1' Four minutes added on at the death.
    • 90' Hulk tests Hart from a tight angle, who saves.
    • 89' Two goals in three minutes. Can it be put down to the red? Perhaps, but I sense Porto would have thrown in the towell with eleven men at 2-0 anyway. Killed the tie off.
    • 87' Sapanaru's challenge on Dzeko inside the box put the ball at the feet of Pizarro, who slots home into the corner.
    • 86' PIZARRO! It's four! Capitulation at the death from the ten-man away side.
    • 84' Game over. Silva makes it three! Great one-touch build from Dzeko and Pizarro before the latter squared for the tap-in.
    • 83' Appears that the Porto discontent around the second goal is for an alleged foul on Hulk as the counter began from City.
    • 81' Porto make their final change shortly afterward. It's Steven Defour on for James Rodriguez.
    • 80' Dzeko is offside again, this time hitting the post with his strike before being made aware of the decision. David Pizarro, the loanee from Roma, replaces goalscorer Aguero.
    • 78' Silva now puts Dzeko through! No, he doesn't. He was offside.
    • 77' Compounding things for Porto is Rolando's decision to berate the referee following the decision, earning himself a second yellow in the process. The holders are going out a man down, it seems.
    • 76' 2-0! That should see City through! Aguero threads Dzeko into the danger zone and the sub's first-time finish is placed perfectly.
    • 74' Sapanaru's cross is headed clear by Kompany.
    • 73' de Jong cuts out Moutinho's through pass attempt.
    • 71' The attack ends with City winning a free-kick which Hart again takes.
    • 70' C.Rodriguez has a cross attempt snuffed out on the left.
    • 69' Edin Dzeko comes on for Nasri.
    • 68' This one's a good 25 or so yards out but Porto are lining it up to shoot. Hulk to take... but he curls his drive well above the top corner. Goal kick.
    • 67' Yaya is booked for a foul on Moutinho, which rules him out of the first left of the last 16 if City hold on.
    • 66' Milner does well to cut out a Cristian Rodriguez cross.
    • 65' Hulk wins a corner off Clichy by the byline on the right.
    • 64' City's corner finally takes place, but it's dealt with.
    • 63' Cristian Sapanaru comes on for Otamendi who is up but still in a bad way, while Valera makes way for Cristian Rodriguez in a double switch for the away side.
    • 62' Replays show why: Maicon caught him with a high boot trying to clear while Otamendi went in to head it away. He caught his own team-mate's foot full-force in the face.
    • 61' Nasri's corner is only half cleared and Siva will put in a low ball from the same left channel... Porto get it clear but now place pauses as Otamendi is in severe pain.
    • 60' Aguero has space to get forward but cannot make the Porto box as Maicon does well to slide in. Corner coming up.
    • 59' Hulk powers his way into the box! But he's measured off the ball just in time for Hart to gather.
    • 58' Sub for the hosts is made as planned: Barry makes way for Milner.
    • 57' Richards gingerly walks off the pitch and play resumes with Nasri dropping back at RB to cover for now. Maicon has space for a low ball in from the left and it pinballs off the defenders to land with RODRIGUEZ! He scores.. but the flag was up!
    • 56' Milner was preparing to come on for City, but we'll see if Mancini thinks twice now with this. Richards is back on his feet, however. Was an innocuous scenario, he merely went to clear the ball and hurt himself in the process.
    • 55' City bomb forward on the counter after Hart pushes away a Hulk cross, but once the chance dies out the referee stops play for Richards.
    • 54' Micah Richards is down hurt.
    • 52' ... he rolls it into the path of Gonzalez! Just wide!
    • 51' City concede a free-kick 30 yards from their own goal and Moutinho takes it quickly...
    • 50' Kompany heads clear a Rodriguez diagonal ball into the box.
    • 48' Almost in for City once more. Aguero crosses low for Silva but a combination of Maicon and Rolando nip the ball from his toes, eight yards from goal...
    • 47' Aguero wins a corner early on. Not quite as impressive as his showing in the first minute of the first half, though - especially with the corner coming to nothing.
    • 46' City get the second half underway.
    • 45+2' And that's half-time. City lead through that extremely early Aguero goal. Discuss the game so far with me on Twitter @liamhappe
    • 45+1' Another mis-placed Porto pass in a dangerous area gives City a chance to attack at the end of the half, but Silva cannot get a sight on goal despite taking down a cross with a wonderful first touch.
    • 45' One minute of added time.
    • 44' Good delivery and Rolando times his run and leap well.. but can't properly connect. It comes back to the near post where Maicon is poised to hammer at goal... no Otamendi takes it! Way off target. He was in a far worse position to dig at that than Maicon, who surely would have at least hit the target.
    • 43' Now Barry clatters Hulk and Porto have another dangerous set piece, again just outside the 'D'. It's a low drive which clips the wall and goes beyond the far post for a corner.
    • 42' Now here come City! Aguero can't quite shake the last man to bear down on goal but he has support from Yaya who is clean through! His pace and first touch aren't up to scratch though, and the defence catches up. Toure keeps it alive playing it back to Aguero, but the shot is a poor one and misses the mark.
    • 41' Anticipating a delivery rather than a shot at goal, Hart calls for a short defensive wall but Hulk tries his luck. Fortunately for City, the three-man wall is enough to block the shot.
    • 40' Porto get forward through Rodriguez before Silva fouls Hulk just behind the left-hand corner of the penalty area.
    • 39' The delivery almost lands in a dangerous area but the visitors eventually hoof it clear.
    • 38' Silva cuts inside Maicon on the edge of the area but his shot is blocked by Otamendi at the expense of a corner.
    • 37' Keeping the pressure on, Gonzalez fires off-target.
    • 36' Fernando has a shot closed down.
    • 35' Quite a dull game so far, I must say, with flashes of skill and open play breaking the monotone.
    • 34' Hulk fashions some space out on the left-hand side of the box to flash in a driven cross, but it's too hard and fast for his team-mates to read.
    • 33' Raining quite hard at the moment now.
    • 32' Silva fouls Fernando and the Porto player is furious. Bit of a pull apart but cooler heads eventually prevail.
    • 30' City attack in numbers again, but hesitate and Porto are able to push them back.
    • 29' How are City not two up? Almost a repeat of the first-minute scenario with another sloppy giveaway at the back from the away side putting Aguero through. This time Helton races out as he did for the Toure chance, and the Argentine rounds him but his chipped effort towards the empty net from outside the area comes back off the bar!
    • 28' It also turns out that when Rolando was booked, so was Hulk for protesting the decision.
    • 27' Moutinho strikes from this one... but it's over the bar.
    • 26' Richards commits a foul just outside the box. Dangerous free-kick coming up but first, a yellow for Otamendi for demanding a booking from it. Ha, the irony!
    • 25' Good play from Moutinho but he loses his balance and the attack comes to nothing.
    • 24' Porto win a corner off Clichy.
    • 22' I hear there's a reasonable pocket of Ajax fans in attendance today, making the most of their Manchester excursion by doing two games in as many days. I like it!
    • 21' Sandro's speculative effort lands somewhere in Row Z.
    • 20' Now James Rodriguez with the cross from the left... but Hart claims.
    • 19' Gonzalez has a shot closed down.
    • 17' Now Valera is in the City box as Porto counter... but Hart makes himself big and blocks the shot from the left-hand side of the near post.
    • 16' Yaya is through! Helton comes rushing out... and does well as he saves the shot! It comes to Nasri who instead of going for it with the keeper off his line, tries to feed Toure again who this time is offside.
    • 15' Far from a full house here at the Eithad. Not surprising given the kick-off time, forced due to potential clashes with both Man Utd's home game tomorrow and tonight's Champions League fixtures.
    • 13' Rolando gets the game's first booking for pulling back Aguero to prevent a possible break forward.
    • 12' Yaya gets the better of Sandro and provokes the young defender into conceding a free-kick just inside the Porto half.
    • 11' The pressure ends with a needless free-kick on their right wing, however, which Hart will take.
    • 10' Porto sustain an attack with some good battling to prevent Nasri and Richards from clearing the danger.
    • 8' A Maicon cross from the right is easily dealt with by the hosts.
    • 7' That early goal means away goals are now irrelevant unless we get to a score of 3-2 to Porto (or 4-3 or 5-4 etc...). The visitors need two goals for extra time.
    • 6' Bit of a stoppage in play now as Aguero receives treatment, but nothing too major and he's back in action.
    • 5' Villas-Boas is in attendance tonight watching his former club.
    • 4' Gonzalez whips in an early ball which Valera heads straight at Hart.
    • 3' Porto win a free-kick 30 yards out. Whipped into the crowded box but City head clear. Gonzalez tries a volley on the second ball but it's blocked. Now it falls to Moutinho who tries the same, but it's off-target.
    • 2' NINETEEN SECONDS. That's all it takes for City to lead! Otamendi gives the ball away to Toure who threads Aguero through to slot home what could be an early death knell for Porto's Europa League defence!
    • 1' The visitors kick off the first half.
    • 17:00 The teams head out onto the pitch at the Eithad. Kick-off moments away. The official this afternoon is Wolfgang Stark of Germany.
    • 16:55 City's only previous meeting with Portuguese opponents came in the quarter-finals of their triumphant 1969/70 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup campaign, when they drew 0-0 away to Académica before Tony Towers scored the only goal of the tie in the 119th minute at Maine Road.
    • 16:50 Porto need a first win in England in 15 visits if they are to continue their Europa League title defence, with City on course for a round of 16 meeting with Legia Warsaw or another Portugese club: Sporting Lisbon.
    • 16:45 While last week's first-leg was marred by suspected racist chanting from the Porto fans towards Balotelli and Toure, and UEFA have responded to the accusations by opening disciplinary proceedings: UEFA open Porto racism case
    • 16:40 Both sides have made headlines off the pitch recently. City outcast Carlos Tevez has finally apologised to the club following his refusal to participate as a substitute earlier in the season: Full story
    • 16:35 So Pereira is suspended and Maicon will switch to left-back with Sandro coming in at RB for Porto.
    • 16:30 Vitor Pereira: "Our biggest strength will be our collective play. I do not believe in magic touches, nor in pulling rabbits out of hats. I do believe in work consistency and the identity of the team. We will try to have the ball to create chances and also defend the way we normally do, with aggressive transitions. It is by being consistent throughout the match that we want to win the tie."
    • 16:25 Man City boss Roberto Mancini: “I was very pleased with the win in Porto and think we played really well in both halves, particularly in the second half when we defended well and created a lot of chances. Every game is dangerous for different reasons, but it is better start with a 2-1 lead, but I think it’s important to think that it is 0-0 start. For us, every game is serious and we want to win every match,” he said. “If we win the Europa League it would be an important moment for the club."
    • 16:20 So no place in the starting line-up for Balotelli. In fact, both of City's traditional strikers are on the bench with Dzeko also missing out. Looks like Aguero will play that role tonight with Yaya Toure joining Nasri and Silva in attacking midfield. Stuart Pearce, former City manager and current caretaker boss of England, is in attendance to check out the English contingent.
    • 16:15 TEAMS - Man City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Barry, de Jong, Yaya Toure, Nasri, Silva, Aguero. Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Milner, Pizarro, Dzeko, Savic, Balotelli. /// Porto: Helton, Gonzalez, Maicon, Moutinho, Hulk, Rolando, Valera, James Rodriguez, Fernando, Sandro, Otamendi. Subs: Bracali, Cristian Rodriguez, Kleber, Djalma, Sapunaru, Defour, Tomas.
    • 16:10 And back to this week, as we preview the head-to-head: Read more
    • 16:05 Firstly, let's rewind to last week where Premier League leaders City set themselves up nicely for this second leg with a 2-1 victory away to the Europa League holders at Estadio Dragao. Europa League: City battle past Porto
    • 16:00 Good evening and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Europa League last-32 second-leg match between FC Porto and Manchester City!
  • Summary

    • 86' PIZARRO! It's four! Capitulation at the death from the ten-man away side.
    • 84' Game over. Silva makes it three! Great one-touch build from Dzeko and Pizarro before the latter squared for the tap-in.
    • 77' Compounding things for Porto is Rolando's decision to berate the referee following the decision, earning himself a second yellow in the process. The holders are going out a man down, it seems.
    • 76' 2-0! That should see City through! Aguero threads Dzeko into the danger zone and the sub's first-time finish is placed perfectly.
    • 57' Richards gingerly walks off the pitch and play resumes with Nasri dropping back at RB to cover for now. Maicon has space for a low ball in from the left and it pinballs off the defenders to land with RODRIGUEZ! He scores.. but the flag was up!
    • 52' ... he rolls it into the path of Gonzalez! Just wide!
    • 48' Almost in for City once more. Aguero crosses low for Silva but a combination of Maicon and Rolando nip the ball from his toes, eight yards from goal...
    • 44' Good delivery and Rolando times his run and leap well.. but can't properly connect. It comes back to the near post where Maicon is poised to hammer at goal... no Otamendi takes it! Way off target. He was in a far worse position to dig at that than Maicon, who surely would have at least hit the target.
    • 42' Now here come City! Aguero can't quite shake the last man to bear down on goal but he has support from Yaya who is clean through! His pace and first touch aren't up to scratch though, and the defence catches up. Toure keeps it alive playing it back to Aguero, but the shot is a poor one and misses the mark.
    • 29' How are City not two up? Almost a repeat of the first-minute scenario with another sloppy giveaway at the back from the away side putting Aguero through. This time Helton races out as he did for the Toure chance, and the Argentine rounds him but his chipped effort towards the empty net from outside the area comes back off the bar!
    • 17' Now Valera is in the City box as Porto counter... but Hart makes himself big and blocks the shot from the left-hand side of the near post.
    • 16' Yaya is through! Helton comes rushing out... and does well as he saves the shot! It comes to Nasri who instead of going for it with the keeper off his line, tries to feed Toure again who this time is offside.
    • 2' NINETEEN SECONDS. That's all it takes for City to lead! Otamendi gives the ball away to Toure who threads Aguero through to slot home what could be an early death knell for Porto's Europa League defence!
    • 16:15 TEAMS - Man City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Barry, de Jong, Yaya Toure, Nasri, Silva, Aguero. Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Milner, Pizarro, Dzeko, Savic, Balotelli. /// Porto: Helton, Gonzalez, Maicon, Moutinho, Hulk, Rolando, Valera, James Rodriguez, Fernando, Sandro, Otamendi. Subs: Bracali, Cristian Rodriguez, Kleber, Djalma, Sapunaru, Defour, Tomas.

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • Line-up

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

    Please to rate the players.

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    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      7.1 7
      Defenders
      6.6 7
      6.8 8
      6.3 8
      6.3 7
      Midfielders
      6.4 8
      Substitution Out58′ 6 6
      Goal 7.5 7
      Yellow Card 6.9 7
      Substitution Out69′ 6.8 6
      Strikers
      Goal Substitution Out80′ 7.7 9
      Subs
      Substitution In80′ Goal 7 8
      Substitution In58′ 5.9 6
      Substitution In69′ Goal 7.7 7
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      4.9 5
      Defenders
      5.1 6
      Red Card 4.3 4
      Yellow Card Substitution Out63′ 4.6 5
      4.9 5
      Midfielders
      4.9 6
      Yellow Card 5.2 6
      5 7
      Strikers
      Substitution Out63′ 4.9 6
      Substitution Out80′ 5.3 7
      6.6 6
      Subs
      Substitution In63′ 5.1 6
      Substitution In80′ 4.9 5
      Substitution In63′ 4.9 6

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