Goal line technology helped sink Man City.
AFP
Who comes together, comes together: the adage has often stuck to this clash between two teams with identical playing styles and ambitions, but lacking in results and confidence.
After a boring and lackluster first period with only one scoring opportunity per team — a shot from Kenan Yildiz in the 19th minute for Juve, a duel lost by Erling Haaland against Michele Di Gregorio in the 40th minute for City — in a refrigerated Allianz Stadium, the most successful club in Italian football knocked out the English champion after returning from the locker room.
Thanks to this success, its first in the Champions League for two months and only its seventh in 21 matches in all competitions, Juve, which has only lost one match but collects draws (11), has placed itself with his 11 points in the race to qualify for the play-offs.
City, which conceded a seventh defeat since October 30, remains stuck at eight points and is only one point ahead of PSG, the first team virtually eliminated.
Barça at the end of the suspense
FC Barcelona had to work hard on Wednesday evening to overcome Borussia Dortmund away (3-2) thanks to a double from Ferran Torres, and took the opportunity to climb to 2nd place in the League of Nations rankings. champions.
After six days (out of eight) of the group stage of the Champions League, the Barcelona have 15 points, three less than the Liverpool Reds, and are taking an important step towards a place in the top 8 at the end of this first phase.
The opening score came from a superb acrobatic recovery from Federico Gatti, pushed back on his line by Ederson. In panic, City’s defense immediately gave the ball back to Yildiz: the Turkish prodigy then crossed at the far post for Dusan Vlahovic who, limited to only two goals in the last two months, propelled the ball over the line despite a new parade from Ederson (54th).
This goal had the merit of bringing City out of its torpor: Pep Guardiola’s players, in the wake of Ilkay Gundogan, briefly took the upper hand, far however from rediscovering the football which allowed them to win the last four English league titles and the 2023 Champions League.
In the 65th minute, Kevin De Bruyne struck from distance and the ball flew just to the right of Di Gregorio’s post. Two minutes later, the Italian goalkeeper saved his team by diverting a shot from Gündogan which was heading towards the top corner.
But this timid Mancunian start ended in the 75th minute with a counter from Juve, accelerated by Timothy Weah, who entered shortly before, who found Weston McKennie alone in the penalty area.
AS Monaco lost 3-0 on Wednesday at Arsenal, a second defeat in a row in the Champions League which puts the club from the principality back among the play-offs after six days.
A double from Bukayo Saka (34th, 78th) and a final goal from Kai Havertz (88th) punished the missed opportunities and defensive errors of the Monegasques, opposed in January to Aston Villa then Inter Milan, two of the best teams in the current league phase.
The American international, who replaced Khéphren Thuram in the 69th minute, doubled the lead with a half-volley that deceived Ederson (75th).
The Citizens, decimated by injuries and at the end of the cycle, will have to win on January 21 at the Parc des Princes against PSG, another big name in bad shape, to hope for a European spring.
(afp)
