FOOTBALL Live

Thursday November 6, 2008 Finished

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Manchester City

  • Wright-Phillips 2’
  • Robinho 57’
  • Benjani 61’

Twente

  • Elia 16’
  • Wielaert 64’
  1. City lucky to escape with win

    City lucky to escape with win

    Manchester City got their UEFA Cup Group A campaign off to a winning start with an entertaining 3-2 victory over Steve McClaren's Twente. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Manchester City
    • Twente
    • - Thanks for joining me this evening; make sure you stick around - we've got plenty to keep you entertained.
    • 90+3 FULL-TIME: City just take all three points, but it could have been different had the substitute taken that last-gasp chance.
    • 90 WHAT A CHANCE! Stein Huysegems blows the golden chance to earn his side a point when he blasts over the crossbar from eight yards after more superb running down the left from Elia and a fine dummy from Blaise Nkufo.
    • 88 OFF THE POST AGAIN! Zabaleta runs at his man, feeds the ball inside to Robinh...who strikes the same far post with a low shot from a tight angle.
    • 86 GREAT TOUCH! Elia gets away from Zabaleta down the left...fires in a superb cross...but Dunne's cruical flick off his head stops the ball falling to Blaise Nkufo.
    • 85 SWp feeds Benjani down the right...he tries to pick out Elano on the edge of the box, but the substitute's touch lets him down.
    • 84 The game has really opened up, which should suit City...
    • 81 Elia is down holding his leg after claiming he was clobbered by Zabaleta...replays show he wasn't clobbered. Barely touched.
    • 79 Ismael Cheik Tiote is replaced by Janssen...
    • 77 TESTED! Benjani spins on the edge of the box...fires in a firm shot...decent save from the keeper, who pushes the ball around the post.
    • 76 City win a corner...Elano takes it deep...headed clear.
    • 75 OFF THE POST! Ismael Cheik Tiote gifts the ball to Robinho...he is through on goal, faced by one defender...the Brazilian rounds him and shoots...beats the keeper, but comes back off the far post!
    • 74 Robinho goes over in the box when he switches flanks, cuts in from the right...and is shoved by the defender...no penalty...he went over very quickly.
    • 72 Elano has come on for Vassell for the final twenty minutes or so as Hughes looks to keep some measure of possession.
    • 70 ANOTHER CHANCE! Elia gets past Zabaleta this time...he pulls the ball back cleverly for Stein Huysegems...but his first-time left-foot effort is scuffed wide of the far post! That was a decent chance you know...
    • 69 Superb defending from Zabaleta, who shows great pace to race back and put the tackle in on Elia, winning the ball and clearing quickly up-field.
    • 67 CHANCE! Hersi slips as he attempts to fire in on goal...City looked stretched there as the ball was worked from left to right.
    • 65 City looked really comfortable, but another really sloppy piece of defending mean they will face another nervous half-hour.
    • 63 GOAL! Rob Wielaert halves the lead when he loses Richards at a corner and heads past Hart! City don't like to make things easy for themselves, do they?
    • 61 GOAL! WELCOME BACK BENJANI! The sub just breaks the offside trap - although perhaps he didn't, according to the replay - sprints through and fires past the keeper - via a deflection.
    • 60 City have been good after the break...that goal should settle their nerves...they need to concentrate at the back though.
    • 59 The crowd applaud the appearance from the bench of Benjani, who replaces Jo...it's the Zimbabwean striker's first appearance of the season.
    • 57 WHAT A GOAL! Robinho is found by Ireland...he teases his defender, cuts inside...and lashes a right-foot effort into the top corner!
    • 56 Wout Brama shoots from distance...sliced high and wide.
    • 54 Wout Brama does well against Zabaleta and Vassell, doubling-up against him...his cross from the left is headed clear by Dunne.
    • 53 CLOSE! The defence opens up through the middle for SWP...edge of the box...but his low shot flies just the wrong side of the post! Should have worked the keeper there.
    • 51 Jo is caught in the face by a flailing arm from fellow Brazilian Douglas...he goes down, but is soon to his feet.
    • 50 MUCH BETTER! Robinho cuts in from the left...clips a nice ball into the box for Vassell...his attempted cut-back is blocked for a corner...Much better play from City.
    • 49 NICELY DONE! Robinho darts past his man...feeds a nice ball to Jo...but he just can't get enough on his effort to test the keeper.
    • 48 CLOSE! SWP fires in a shot from distance...Ireland has continued his run into the box...and is just inches from turning SWP's dragged shot home...replays show Ireland was miles offside, but there was no flag.
    • 47 City win an early corner as Zabaleta's cross is blocked...Dunne and Richards go forward...claimed by the keeper.
    • 46 The second half is underway...
    • 45+1 HALF-TIME: Good half; City looked good for a couple of minutes...but it doesn't look easy now. Twente are right in this game.
    • 45 GREAT SKILL! SWP absolutely skins his man down the right before firing in a good low cross...Jo runs to the near post and a delightful flick sends the ball goalwards...but without any real pace and the keeper saves.
    • 44 Garrido hangs it high and deep...Jo wins the header, but Robinho just can't work himself a shooting chance.
    • 43 City win a corner late in the first half when Robinho and Jo combine down the left...
    • 41 Jo appeals for a yellow card when Douglas brings him down on half-way...Douglas has looked a bit of a liability at times...City should target him.
    • 40 SAVE! Fernandes nicks the ball 30 yards out...he feeds Jo on the right-edge of the box...he works some space with a nice dummy...but the keeper just gets down in time to block the attempted shot through his legs.
    • 38 City just don't look a coherent side at the moment; the four changes that Hughes has made have really disrupted the side, especially going forward.
    • 36 Elia wins his side another corner with a nice piece of skill down the left...the big men go forward again...Twente have looked dangerous from corners...but this one is straight to Hart.
    • 34 GOOD TACKLE! Blaise Nkufo is played through, finding space between Richards and Dunne...but Garrido comes across with a fine challenge to prevent the shot.
    • 33 NICE BREAK! Jo leads a fine counter...he feeds SWP, who moves the ball to Zabaleta, sprinting down the right...but his cross is poor and easily claimed.
    • 32 Arnautovic is replaced by Stein Huysegems for Twente
    • 31 Marko Arnautovic collapses to the ground...City want to play on but the referee makes them put the ball out...the home side aren't impressed...
    • 30 McLaren is very vocal and animated on the touchline...he is urging his side forward all the time...very positive coaching from the former England man.
    • 28 Zabaleta is very harshly booked for a slight and accidental trip on Blaise Nkufo.
    • 27 City just haven't been able to get going...Jo gets down the left, but his low cross into the box is hopeful at best.
    • 25 Jo and Robinho lead the City counter when Garrido makes a good tackle...Ireland tries to slide the ball down the line for the rampaging Zabaleta, but the defender just gets across.
    • 24 City have lost all their fluidity; they have barely strung a couple of passes together for ten minutes now.
    • 23 The second corner is lofted too high and runs out for a goalkick.
    • 22 Twente win a second corner of the match...Hersi clips it to the near post...deflected behind for a second corner...
    • 21 Fernandes is lax in possession and gives it away in midfield...Twente look the better side at the moment.
    • 19 City boss Hughes was furious that a free-kick wasn't given for a high foot during the build up to the Twente goal...replays show it would have been a soft foul...and the City defenders didn't play to the whistle, for sure.
    • 18 Robinho clips a nice ball into the box...Vassell looks to flick on for SWP coming in behind him, but the keeper collects.
    • 17 GOAL! BIT OF A SHOCK! Pablo Zabaleta and Eljero Elia compete for a bouncing ball...the City defence stop, expecting a free-kick in their favour...it doesn't come, and Elia sprints through almost unchallenged to fire past Hart!
    • 16 Ireland has been very instrumental already tonight; he has switched over to the inside-left position and won the ball a couple of times.
    • 14 Bit of a scare for Twente as their skipper goes down holding his groin completely unchallenged...but he seems to be okay. He just looked to slip.
    • 13 Ireland slips the ball through to Jo after the visitors had again given the ball away in their own half...the keeper just collects before the big striker can nick the ball.
    • 11 Ireland wins the ball high up the pitch...Twente are very keen to play good football at all costs...no chance of a long ball up to the big man.
    • 9 Robinho is fouled by Stam, 40 yards out...a little too far for a shot, perhaps...Robinho stands over it...
    • 8 Vassell might not be entirely match-sharp tonight, but Hughes has looked keen to get him involved; he's playing out on the right, with SWP inside.
    • 7 City look really up for this tonight; they do have the potential to stick one on Twente; could this be a showpiece night?
    • 6 The visitors win the first corner of the night...taken deeper, cleared at the back post from Fernandes...with an important tackle from Richards on the follow-up
    • 5 SAVE! The keeper is forced to palm out a low shot from a tight angle from Robinho into the danger area...cleared by a defender.
    • 3 GOAL! WHAT A START! CITY LEAD! SWP plays a fantastic one-two with Jo before breaking into the box and finishing low across the keeper!
    • 3 City will definitely see this as one of the games that they should win in their UEFA Cup group; they have been excellent at home this season...
    • 2 Robinho sets up SWP for an early shot...blocked on the edge of the box...
    • 1 OFF WE GO!
    • - Attacking line-up for City tonight, with the return from injury of Vassell and Jo, with Benjani on the bench...
    • - Hi there; welcome to our coverage of Steve McLaren's trip to Manchester City...

  • Team Stats

    Manchester City Stats Twente
    42% Possession 57%
    16 Shots 13
    8 Shots on target 3
    1 Saves 4
    5 Corners 6
    8 Fouls 5
    0 Offsides 2
    1 Yellow cards 1
    0 Red cards 0
    34 Tackles 23
    295 Accurate passes 414
    33 Bad passes 64

  • Player Stats

    G =
    Goals
    S =
    Shots
    SoT =
    Shot on Target
    F =
    Fouls
    FW =
    Fouls Won
    O =
    Offsides
    A =
    Assists
    AP =
    Accurate Passes
    BP =
    Bad Passes
    T =
    Tackles
    • Manchester City
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Joe Hart 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 7 3 0
      2 Micah Richards 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 0 1
      15 Javier Garrido 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 31 4 2
      5 Pablo Zabaleta 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 26 0 6
      22 Richard Dunne 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 5 3
      19 Gelson Fernandes 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 30 0 4
      7 Stephen Ireland 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 38 4 10
      8 Shaun Wright-Phillips 1 5 1 1 0 0 1 28 2 2
      12 Darius Vassell 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 10 0 3
      14 João Alves de Assis Silva 0 3 3 0 2 0 1 20 4 0
      10 Robson de Souza 1 4 2 1 1 0 0 33 6 1
      16 Kasper Schmeichel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      27 Benjamin Mwaruwari 1 2 2 0 1 0 0 10 3 1
      11 Blumer Elano 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 12 2 1
      26 Tal Ben Haim 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      4 Nedum Onuoha 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      24 Ched Evans 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      21 Dietmar Hamann 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    • Twente
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Sander Boschker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 32 2 0
      2 Rob Wielaert 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 47 3 1
      3 Edson Braafheid 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 46 12 3
      19 Douglas Franco 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 54 10 2
      8 Ronnie Stam 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 41 3 3
      18 Chiekh Ismael Tioté 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 49 7 3
      21 Marko Arnautovic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 1 0
      17 Youssouf Hersi 0 4 1 0 2 0 1 22 5 2
      6 Wout Brama 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 24 0 0
      9 Blaise N'Kufo 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 19 3 1
      15 Eljero Elia 1 2 1 3 1 1 0 28 14 2
      22 Niels Wellenberg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 1 4
      10 Kenneth Perez 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      16 Cees Paauwe 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      12 Jeroen Heubach 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      11 Stijn Huysegems 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 23 1 2
      24 Theo Janssen 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 2 0
      23 Patrick Gerritsen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

  • Summary

    • 90 WHAT A CHANCE! Stein Huysegems blows the golden chance to earn his side a point when he blasts over the crossbar from eight yards after more superb running down the left from Elia and a fine dummy from Blaise Nkufo.
    • 88 OFF THE POST AGAIN! Zabaleta runs at his man, feeds the ball inside to Robinh...who strikes the same far post with a low shot from a tight angle.
    • 77 TESTED! Benjani spins on the edge of the box...fires in a firm shot...decent save from the keeper, who pushes the ball around the post.
    • 75 OFF THE POST! Ismael Cheik Tiote gifts the ball to Robinho...he is through on goal, faced by one defender...the Brazilian rounds him and shoots...beats the keeper, but comes back off the far post!
    • 70 ANOTHER CHANCE! Elia gets past Zabaleta this time...he pulls the ball back cleverly for Stein Huysegems...but his first-time left-foot effort is scuffed wide of the far post! That was a decent chance you know...
    • 63 GOAL! Rob Wielaert halves the lead when he loses Richards at a corner and heads past Hart! City don't like to make things easy for themselves, do they?
    • 61 GOAL! WELCOME BACK BENJANI! The sub just breaks the offside trap - although perhaps he didn't, according to the replay - sprints through and fires past the keeper - via a deflection.
    • 57 WHAT A GOAL! Robinho is found by Ireland...he teases his defender, cuts inside...and lashes a right-foot effort into the top corner!
    • 53 CLOSE! The defence opens up through the middle for SWP...edge of the box...but his low shot flies just the wrong side of the post! Should have worked the keeper there.
    • 50 MUCH BETTER! Robinho cuts in from the left...clips a nice ball into the box for Vassell...his attempted cut-back is blocked for a corner...Much better play from City.
    • 49 NICELY DONE! Robinho darts past his man...feeds a nice ball to Jo...but he just can't get enough on his effort to test the keeper.
    • 45 GREAT SKILL! SWP absolutely skins his man down the right before firing in a good low cross...Jo runs to the near post and a delightful flick sends the ball goalwards...but without any real pace and the keeper saves.
    • 40 SAVE! Fernandes nicks the ball 30 yards out...he feeds Jo on the right-edge of the box...he works some space with a nice dummy...but the keeper just gets down in time to block the attempted shot through his legs.
    • 34 GOOD TACKLE! Blaise Nkufo is played through, finding space between Richards and Dunne...but Garrido comes across with a fine challenge to prevent the shot.
    • 17 GOAL! BIT OF A SHOCK! Pablo Zabaleta and Eljero Elia compete for a bouncing ball...the City defence stop, expecting a free-kick in their favour...it doesn't come, and Elia sprints through almost unchallenged to fire past Hart!
    • 3 GOAL! WHAT A START! CITY LEAD! SWP plays a fantastic one-two with Jo before breaking into the box and finishing low across the keeper!

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Nikolai Ivanov

  • Manchester City

    Manager: Mark Hughes

    Captain: Micah Richards

    Starting line-up

    • J. Hart
    • P. Zabaleta Yellow Card
    • M. Richards
    • R. Dunne
    • J. Garrido
    • G. Fernandes
    • S. Ireland
    • S. Wright-Phillips Goal
    • D. Vassell Substitution Out (68′)
    • .. Robinho Goal
    • .. Jo Substitution Out (58′)

    Subs

    • D. Hamann
    • M. Ball
    • M. Benjani Substitution In58′ Goal
    • K. Schmeichel
    • N. Onuoha
    • B. Elano Substitution In68′
    • C. Evans

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None

  • Twente

    Manager: Steve McClaren

    Captain: Blaise N'Kufo

    Starting line-up

    • S. Boschker
    • R. Stam
    • R. Wielaert Goal
    • F. Douglas
    • E. Braafheid
    • C. Tioté
    • Y. Hersi
    • W. Brama
    • M. Arnautovic Substitution Out (32′)
    • E. Elia Goal
    • B. N'Kufo

    Subs

    • 24. T. Janssen Substitution In79′
    • 10. K. Perez
    • 11. S. Huysegems Substitution In32′
    • 23. P. Gerritsen
    • 12. J. Heubach
    • 16. C. Paauwe
    • 22. N. Wellenberg

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None