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Showing posts with label Juventus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Juventus. Show all posts

Vincent Kompany allays concerns about his fitness after Champions League setback

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany insists the calf injury that forced him to leave the field against Juventus is no cause for concern.



Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany insists the calf injury that forced him to leave the field against Juventus is no cause for concern.
Kompany was replaced by summer signing Nicolas Otamendi after 75 minutes of City's Champions League opener, with the game finely balanced at 1-1.
Alvaro Morata scored the winner for Juve just six minutes later, but that disappointment looks unlikely to be compounded by a lay-off for their skipper.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini suggested the 29-year-old would be in contention for Saturday's Barclays Premier League meeting with West Ham, and Kompany shares that optimism.
"It was just a precaution," he said. "It is not serious, I know my body."
Defeat to Massimiliano Allegri's side continued a frustrating sequence for City, who have been notoriously slow starters in Europe over recent seasons, albeit against some illustrious opponents.
In 2011 they drew with Napoli, a year later they were beaten by Real Madrid and last term they began with a loss at Bayern Munich.
Only a 3-0 win over Viktoria Plzen two seasons ago bucks the trend but Kompany was not downcast about his team's efforts on Tuesday night.
"It was a very different game than in previous campaigns...there was actually nothing wrong with our performance," he said.
"In that respect I worry a lot less than in previous campaigns. There was no panic and we did not feel we did not know what to do.
"We played against a very good team, last year's finalists, and they did very well.
"We are a little unhappy but we can take confidence to the next game."
City had chances to put the game beyond the visitors, with Raheem Sterling wasting a couple of presentable openings, the first of which arrived in the second minute of the match.
Wilfried Bony also proved a modest deputy for Sergio Aguero, who was only fit enough for a late cameo off the bench.
In the end it was Kompany who forced the breakthrough, pressuring Giorgio Chiellini into an own-goal in a way the Italian was unhappy about.
"Yes, we got chances and we were the better team. We could actually have finished the match much earlier," he said.
"Usually that is not a problem for us but it was this time.
Kompany's injury meant he got to share the field with his Belgium team-mate Kevin De Bruyne for only a few minutes on his home debut, as a 75th replacement for Samir Nasri.
The £55million signing had a quiet time, but his captain believes that was largely down to Juve's methods.
"They scored just before he settled in and then stood with eleven men back, not nine, not 10, but 11 men," said Kompany.
"The Italians are smart. They are a well-disciplined team, they know what to do."



Massimiliano Allegri hails Gianluigi Buffon as best goalkeeper of all time





Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon was hailed as the best goalkeeper of all time by his manager Massimiliano Allegri after a superb display to defy Manchester City.




Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon was hailed as the best goalkeeper of all time by his manager Massimiliano Allegri after a superb display to defy Manchester City.
Buffon produced a number of brilliant saves as his side came from behind to win their Champions League Group D opener 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
The 37-year-old Italy veteran denied Raheem Sterling early on, saved from the same man and Daivd Silva in quick succession in the second half and also thwarted Wilfried Bony.
He was beaten when Giorgio Chiellini turned into his own net just before the hour but Juve responded to win with fine goals from strikers Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata.
Juve boss Allegri said: "Buffon pulled off many miraculous saves, particularly just after we went 1-0 down.
"I hope he will go on for as long as possible, certainly as long as I am manager. Buffon is an extraordinary goalkeeper, perhaps the best ever in the history of football. He never fails."
For City, the story was a familiar one. The club have consistently failed to transpose their brilliant domestic form onto the European stage and, despite optimism abounding after five successive Premier League wins without conceding, again they fell short.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini admitted his side needed to be more clinical but did not blame Sterling for spurning two of the better opportunities.
The Chilean said: "I expect that when we have chances we must score. The differences are very slight especially against a strong team like Juventus. Maybe Juventus didn't create so many chances but they had a strong finish.
"I don't think this result is just because of Raheem. We controlled the game and didn't have many problems but football is like that.
"I think it was a strange game. I don't think we deserved to lose. We played better than Juventus and we had three clear opportunities to score.
"Buffon made some very good saves but I think we were very unlucky, especially for the first goal."
Pellegrini, however, was not overly concerned about the group situation. Last season his side claimed just two points from their first four games but still managed to progress.
He said: "We are just starting. We never want to lose here at home, we never want to lose important points but we have 15 points more to play for."
City lacked a cutting edge without star striker Sergio Aguero, although he made a late appearance off the bench despite having been initially ruled out with a knee injury.
Pellegrini said: "It was a risk to use him. I tried not to because if he got a kick in the same part it could take him more days to recover. Fortunately he did not have any problems and I hope he will be fit for Saturday."
Pellegrini also revealed captain Vincent Kompany was substituted in the second half with a calf injury.
He said: "We will see tomorrow how important (serious) it is."
For Juve, victory was their first of the season after two defeats and a draw in their opening three Serie A games.
Allegri said: "I think the players played extremely well. We defended very disciplined and played pretty well in attack. It gives the players a bit more confidence."

Manchester City slip up in Europe with defeat at home to Juventus

Manchester City suffered familiar European wobbles as they surrendered a lead to lose their Champions League Group D opener 2-1 to Juventus.




Manchester City suffered familiar European wobbles as they surrendered a lead to lose their Champions League Group D opener 2-1 to Juventus.
City looked in control at the Etihad Stadium after taking a controversial 57th-minute lead when Giorgio Chiellini turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Vincent Kompany but Manuel Pellegrini's men paid the price for failing to convert a series of other chances as Juve hit back with a Mario Mandzukic finish and a stunner from Alvaro Morata.
Raheem Sterling spurned an early chance after Fernandinho robbed Stefano Sturaro. The former Liverpool man opened his body and tried to place his shot inside the far post but veteran Gianluigi Buffon saved with his feet.
Paul Pogba slid the ball into the net from a Juan Cuadrado cross but Morata was flagged offside.
Wilfried Bony then twice fluffed his lines by slicing horribly wide after a smart run and then failing to turn in a low Aleksandar Kolarov cross. Fernandinho had another good chance when a clearance fell to him and sat up nicely but his powerful drive flew wide.
Kompany celebrated as if he had claimed his third goal of the season in the 57th minute as he rose to meet a David Silva corner but the ball went in off Chiellini. Chiellini felt he had been impeded by Kompany and protested to the referee, but to no avail.
The goal energised City and moments later Silva broke free and played in Sterling. Buffon saved well and then quickly regained his footing to produce an even better stop to deny the inrushing Silva. 
City were made to rue those misses as Juve responded. Joe Hart needed to save from Sturaro and City had a big let-off when Pogba miscued a volley.
But the Italians broke through when Pogba swung in a cross for Mandzukic and the Croatian timed his run to perfection to guide the ball in via the far post.
Substitute Nicolas Otamendi was then caught out as Morata fired Juve ahead nine minutes from time, but it was all about the finish. Morata broke clear on the left and curled an unstoppable shot round Hart and inside the far post.


Manchester City grouped with Juventus and Sevilla in Champions League

Manchester City's Champions League curse returned to haunt them after they were drawn with last season's finalists Juventus and Europa League winners Seville for the group stage of the competition.





Manchester City's Champions League curse returned to haunt them after they were drawn with last season's finalists Juventus and Europa League winners Seville for the group stage of the competition.
City, who have suffered tough draws in the last four seasons of the Champions League, were selected in Group D - with the other team being Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach.
Arsenal also face a tough task in Group F against Bayern Munich, who have eliminated the Gunners from the competition in two out of the last three seasons - but have more straightforward opposition from Greek side Olympiakos - who are in the middle of a match-fixing scandal - and Dinamo Zagreb from Croatia.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will have a return to a former side Porto, whom he took to Champions League glory in 2004, and his side should have little trouble in Group G with Dynamo Kiev and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Manchester United's return to the competition after last year's absence should also not trouble manager Louis van Gaal too much, with the opponents in Group B being PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow and German side Wolfsburg.
Manchester City's head of football administration Brian Marwood admitted the club seemed to experience bad luck in Champions League draws.
He said: "It's the best 32 clubs in Europe so you have to expect there will be some tough games in there and we do always seem to draw very difficult groups, but it is what it is, we have to deal with it and we'll hopefully progress.
"I'm sure they are looking at us and seeing the talent we have in our squad, and you'd like to think they are not happy about drawing us."
Marwood refused to state what the club regarded as a minimum target for manager Manuel Pellegrini however.
He added: "We have our internal targets and they will be kept internal, but of course we are very ambitious; we want to get as close to winning it as we possibly can, of course we do. We're in it to compete, not just to get through the group stage; it has to be more than that."
Arsenal's group has a familiar look to it for the Gunners. As well as the Bayern connection Arsenal and Olympiakos have now been drawn together in the group stage for the fourth time in seven seasons.
David Miles, Arsenal club secretary, admitted to feeling a chill when the Gunners were put into Bayern Munich's group.
He said: "The draw started ominously when we were picked in Bayern's group but overall I think we can we relatively pleased with how it turned out.
"Bayern have knocked us out twice so it is about time we returned the favour - let's hope so anyway."
This time however there have been questions marks over the Greek side's participation - UEFA only confirmed Olympiakos' participation on Monday after sport's highest court rejected an appeal by Greek rivals Panathinaikos.
Panathinaikos had challenged a UEFA appeals body decision in June to admit Olympiakos, whose owner Vangelis Marinakis was banned from football in June by a Greek magistrate. He was released on bail as investigations continue into allegations that a criminal organisation is controlling the domestic game - but he was present at CL draw in Monaco. Marinakis refused to comment when asked about the allegations.
UEFA says neither the Greek FA "nor the criminal courts in Athens have rendered any final decision against Mr Marinakis or the club."
Carlo Cudicini, global ambassador for Chelsea, insisted that the Stamford Bridge club did not have an easy draw.
He said: "Porto is a club that Jose knows very well of course, and they are a club that does very well in the transfer market - they sell a lot of players but keep replacing them with other good players and stay in the Champions League every year.
"This not an easy draw at all - I don't think going to Tel Aviv and Kiev are easy trips. Maccabi are champions of Israel with a manager (Slavisa Jokanovic) who is an ex-Chelsea and knows English football very well."
Manchester United's draw will see Memphis Depay return to the club that he starred for last season. The Dutch winger said on Twitter: "Well, well PSV - guess we'll see each other soon."
In other groups, Real Madrid and Paris St Germain will meet in Group A along with Shakhtar Donetsk and Malmo.
Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo said: "It will be tough as I think this group is strong but we are going to do the same as before and try to qualify and the win the Champions League."
The holders Barcelona are in an easy-looking Group E along with Bayer Leverkusen, Roma and BATE Borisov from Belarus.
Draw in full:
A: Paris St Germain, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Malmo
B: PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, CSKA Moscow, Wolfsburg
C: Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray, Astana
D: Juventus, Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Monchengladbach
E: Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Roma, BATE Borisov
F: Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Olympiakos, GNK Dinamo
G: Chelsea, Porto, Dynamo Kiev, Maccabi Tel-Aviv

H: Zenit St Petersberg, Valencia, Lyon, Gent