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Mario keeps cool for City

Manchester City 1 Borussia Dortmund 1
Substitute Mario Balotelli rescued Manchester City’s Champions League campaign with a late penalty equaliser in a pulsating clash against Borussia Dortmund.

The German champions looked set to edge a contest dominated by both goalkeepers after Marco Reus pounced on a Jack Rodwell mistake to score just after the hour.

City goalkeeper Joe Hart and his opposite number Roman Weidenfeller both produced a string of outstanding saves to keep their respective sides in the game at the Etihad Stadium.

And Balotelli’s late effort, after a contentious handball decision, ensured City now at least have a point from their opening two games in Group D.

City boss Roberto Mancini admitted Hart saved his side from conceding a hatful of goals and questioned his side’s desire to compete at this level.

“I think that Joe saved us. He did very, very well,” he said.

“We deserved to conceded three or four goals. We didn’t play well. We didn’t play well because Borussia Dortmund played better than us.

“They probably at this moment are a better team than us. If we want to play in the Champions League, we have to play better than tonight. We have to run and fight. It’s not enough to just pass. Champions League is another situation — different from the championship.”

Mancini admitted his frustration as City remained without a clean sheet this season, but the Italian revealed he had identified the reason for his side’s poor defensive performance as they were over-run by Dortmund’s fleet-footed young stars.

“We did a lot of mistakes. It was very strange for us,” he said.

“I know the problem and I will resolve very quickly this problem.”

Asked what the problem was, he added: “It is my problem. It is my job. I understand the problem and I will resolve (it) very quickly.”

The score could easily have been 3-3 at half-time, but was not due to the brilliance of the keepers. Hart produced the first of a series of fine saves to tip a Mario Gotze shot from the edge of the area on to the post. The breathless opening continued as Marcel Schmelzer and Jakub Blaszczykowski cut through City with some fine interplay, but the hosts managed to recover and clear.

City suffered a blow when Javi Garcia was forced off with a leg injury just after the half-hour and was replaced by Rodwell. That did not interrupt City’s attacking flow and Silva released Aguero moments later, but Weidenfeller did brilliantly to palm his long-range shot over.

Hart came to City’s rescue twice in quick succession to deny Gotze, first blocking at close range and then tipping a thunderous drive on to the bar. Dortmund had the last chance of the first half when Ilkay Gundogan found space in the area, but Hart, yet again, was equal to the shot.

Minutes into the second half Hart was stretched again as he turned away a swerving shot from Gotze.

But the England number one could do little on 61 minutes as Rodwell gifted the ball to Reus with a poor pass. The Dortmund attacker burst forward to blast into the net.

The story then became even more about Hart as he again did brilliantly to touch a Gundogan curler over.

Lewandowski then shot over and then incredibly put wide after being picked out by Gundogan.

Mancini surprisingly opted not to turn to Carlos Tevez to snatch a result in the closing stages, instead sending on the unpredictable Balotelli.

City kept the pressure on and gained a very fortunate penalty decision when Aguero hooked the ball towards goal and it struck Subotic’s arm at point-blank range.

Balotelli did not complain and he stepped up to despatch a cool spot-kick into the bottom corner despite Weidenfeller’s sledging.

Fittingly, Hart had the final word as he kept out a Lewandowski effort.

Fittingly Hart had the final word and it shows the task ahead of City: “For them to be the seed four team shows what a group we’re in.”

MAN CITY: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Clichy (Balotelli 81), Silva, Javi Garcia (Rodwell 34),Toure , Nasri (Kolarov 56), Dzeko, Aguero.

DORTMUND: Weidenfeller, Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels (F Santana 74), Schmelzer, Gundogan (Grosskreutz 82), Bender, Blaszczykowski, Gotze (Kehl 88), Reus, Lewandowski.

Referee: Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic). Home

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