Mancini: City now need a miracle

Ajax 3 Manchester City 1

Samir Nasri put them on course for victory in their vital Group D game in Amsterdam with an early strike but it came much against the run of play.

Ajax responded emphatically to get their first win of the competition — and leave City still looking for theirs — with goals from Siem de Jong, Niklas Moisander and, with the aid of a deflection, Christian Eriksen.

The defeat left the Barclays Premier League champions bottom of the group and staring at the possibility of failing to reach the knockout phase for a second successive season.

Manager Roberto Mancini blamed his own pre-match preparations for the defeat.

Mancini said: “They played better than us, they played better football.

“It was probably my fault because I prepared badly for this game, I didn’t prepare the players and I’m at fault for the defeat. When you prepare for a game sometimes it is different to what you expect.

“We played a bad game. We had a few chances to score but the players didn’t really play well.”

On their qualification chances he said: “It’s very difficult. There’s one team with seven points, one team with six and one with three,” he added.

“It will be a miracle.”

Ajax were supposedly the group’s weakest link but they looked anything but in a game which, although City had their moments, the hosts dominated.

There were worrying signs early on for City as Yaya Toure was helped to the sidelines for treatment after a Daley Blind tackle but the key midfielder was back on, albeit looking in discomfort, two minutes later.

After almost complete Ajax dominance City finally responded by breaking on 22 minutes and snatching the lead.

Micah Richards raced clear down the right and fed inside to James Milner, who in turn set up Nasri for a clinical first-time finish over the diving Kenneth Vermeer.

City had a few chances from Sergio Aguero and Richards before Ajax began to assert themselves again as Ricardo van Rhijn found space and cut inside only to shoot over. Lasse Schone also missed the target and Ryan Babel fired straight at Joe Hart.

The equaliser came on the stroke of half time as Van Rhijn delivered a low cross along the edge of the area.

Gareth Barry was unable to cut it out and De Jong met it with a fierce low strike which gave Hart no chance.

The Dutch side claimed the lead from a corner in the 57th minute as Moisander leapt in front of Joleon Lescott and glanced a header across Hart’s goal into the bottom corner.

Nasri twice brought Vermeer into action before Mancini decided to bring on the extra attacking threat of Aleksandar Kolarov for Lescott.

Tobias Sana had a chance to bury City as he raced on to a fine pass from Eriksen but Hart bravely blocked his shot. Ajax then made sure of the win when Eriksen ran across the area and shot past Hart with the aid of a big deflection off Gael Clichy.

City poured forward in the latter stages but Edin Dzeko, after beating Vermeer was denied again as Moisander got back.

Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli came on to form a four-pronged attack but City were unable to find a way through.

Aguero headed wide and Dzeko could only find Vermeer with late efforts.

AJAX: Vermeer, Van Rhijn, Alderweireld, Moisander, Blind, Schone (Boerrigter 89), Poulsen, Eriksen, Sana (Enoh 74), De Jong, Babel.

MAN CITY: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott (Kolarov 63), Clichy, Toure Barry (Tevez 71), Milner (Balotelli 77), Aguero, Nasri, Dzeko.

Ref: Svein Oddvar Moen (Nor).