Manchester City left it late to snatch victory at Selhurst Park thanks to Kelechi Iheanacho’s late winner. The teenage Nigerian’s last-gasp goal ensure City’s perfect start to the domestic campaign remained intact.
Attention now turns to the Champions League as City welcome Italian champions Juventus to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. It is this competition that has been the cause of so much frustration for City fans in recent years and they must begin this season’s campaign with star players David Silva, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero all as injury doubts.
City have welcomed Italian visitors to the Etihad on multiple occasions in recent seasons and each time found life difficult.
30th September 2010 – Manchester City 1 – 1 Juventus (Europa League)
City’s first home game in the 2010 Europa League group stages saw them face up against Tuesday’s opponents Juventus. Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, Yaya Toure and David Silva all played some part in a hard-fought draw.
Juventus opened the scoring after Iaquinta found the net with a long-range effort that beat Joe Hart at his far post. City equalised before half-time thanks to a glorious slide-rule pass from Toure that allowed Adam Johnson to score.
City pushed for a winner but struggled to break down Juventus. Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci marshalled a Juventus back-line that held firm under City pressure and ultimately left the Etihad with a share of the spoils.
14th September 2011 – Manchester City 1 – 1 Napoli (Champions League)
Another home game, another Italian team, another draw.
Manchester City’s first ever Champions League game ended in a disappointing draw after they were frustrated by a tough Napoli side that would eventually qualify for the knockout rounds ahead of City.
Again, current first-teamers Hart, Kompany, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Nasri, Silva and Aguero all featured that night but were unable to overcome a resilient Napoli defence. City had 59% of the possession and 24 shots on goal and were coming in to this match after a perfect start in the league.
Edinson Cavani scored in the second-half but an excellent free-kick by Kolarov meant City’s Champions League debut didn’t end in defeat.
There’s definitely a pattern emerging here.
30th September 2014 – Manchester City 1 – 1 Roma (Champions League)
Yeah, you guessed it.
Three European matches against tough Italian opposition at home in recent years, three disappointing draws.
This was probably the worst of the lot. Four years to the day that City laboured to a draw against Juventus, they laboured to a draw against Roma.
What’s more frustrating is it’s the same names again that played that night – Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Toure, Silva and Aguero.
Aguero opened the scoring with a fourth minute penalty after formed blue Maicon hauled down the Argentine as he raced into the area. Aguero dispatched the penalty with aplomb and City were off to a perfect start.
But, just as in previous encounters with Italian sides, City struggled to turn their possession into goals and ultimately paid the price. 38-year-old Francesco Totti rolled back the years to latch onto a perfect pass from Belgian Radja Nainggolan before lofting a glorious finish over the onrushing Joe Hart.
City had 61% possession but could only muster two shots on target. Roma pressed City well and defended resiliently, eventually heading back to Italy with a well-earned point.
Italian teams come to the Etihad with a clear idea of how to stop City from playing. They allow the home side to have the majority of the possession, soaking up long periods of pressure but knowing that they will have chances to counter-attack – City have to be prepared for this.
Juventus are the Italian champions but have started the defence of their title with two defeats and a draw. They are out of form and low on confidence and will see a draw as an excellent result.
City will hope this pattern of disappointing draws does not continue on Tuesday and they can end this Italian curse.
