David Silva to rescue as Pep Guardiola admits Man City ‘played with fear’
Manchester City’s Champions League is back on track from what could have been a perilous position.
Pep Guardiola’s side were looking like they would take just one point from their opening two games when David Silva showed all his experience to latch on to Stefan Posch’s heavy touch to lash home in the 87th minute.
Quite how a group of European also-rans such as Hoffenheim, Lyon and Shakhar Donetsk had become some so tricky for a side that had dominated English football so emphatically seemed strange. But the continental sides know how to cause them problems and a point would have left City with big issues.
Guardiola admits that his teams were playing with fear, which is strange for a side that last season went to Manchester United and Chelsea and played brilliant, dominant football last season.
“After the last game it was so important that we didn’t lose,” he said. “A win in Germany is always so complicated and we will learn so it’s a good three points because we fought against a lot of things.
“We played with a little bit of fear. We were more intense in the second half. They are so well organised defensively – it was not easy but at the end we found the right moment to win the game.”
City were really staring down the barrel when they fell behind inside 45 seconds when Ishak Belfodil drifted between a huge chasm inside the centre of defence to bury a shot under Ederson.
They quickly pulled themselves together and pulled level when Leroy Sane’s clever run was spotted by Silva, and the German winger, impressing the watching national team boss Joachim Low, squeezed the ball back for Aguero to equalise.
But a winner looked frustratingly like it wasn’t going to happen with Aguero going close on four occasions before Silva made the most of Posch’s error, to snatch the vital three points.
Guardiola was delighted with his side’s mental strength. “We have to live it like a club, for the players and myself this will be good.
“This competition if we are able to go through the quarter finals we’ll have learned about what we have to do to beat opponents, I’m pretty sure.”
It should have been much easier but for a controversial performance from referee Damir Skomina. Leroy Sane should have had a clear penalty when he was taken out by Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann but the Slovenian bizarrely pointed for a goal kick.
Guardiola had already been irritated when the official had stopped play when Sane raced in on goal after Silva’s clever, quick throw-in.
Guardiola had returned to the touchline following his one-game against Lyon after his confrontation of City’s quarter final exit to Liverpool last season. This time he decided against raising any issues.
“I don’t want to talk about the officials, I want to be on the bench with my players in the next game on the bench,” he said. “I know what happened against Monaco and Liverpool. I don’t want to talk, I don’t want to talk about these officials, I know what happened.”
Had Silva not made his last-ditch intervention, it could have been a different story but captain Vincent Kompany, desperate for a first ever European medal, is hoping their luck with referees will change.
“We don’t want to complain too much but unfortunately it’s been a trend, but that trend reverses in six months then we will take the hard moments now,” he said.
“It felt like [their goal] was offside but these things happen at a high level. Credit it to us for reacting like we did and scoring in the dying minutes. I “t’s a fantastic results because every game in the Champions League is so hard to get three points from and it was the only way to put the Lyon game behind us.”
Baumann 7; Akpoguma 6, Posch 5, Hoogma 6; Brenet 7, Grillitsch 7 (Bittencourt 82), Demirbay 7 (Hack 89), Kaderabek 7; Szalai 6 (Kramaric 54, 5), Joelinton 6, Belfodi 7.
Ederson 6; Walker 6, Kompany 6, Otamendi 5 (Stones 64, 7), Laporte 5; Fernandinho 6, Gundogan 6 (B Silva 68, 6), D Silva 7; Sterling 7 (Mahrez 75, 6), Aguero 8, Sane 8.
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