Pre match: Mark Hughes rang the changes as he eyed some important games coming up at home. Kasper Schmeichel replaced Joe Hart for his first appearance since coming on as a replacement against Hull a month ago. Tal Ben Haim replaced Richard Dunne, while Javi Garrido returned to left back in his home country. Gelson Fernandes was back for the first time since November’s defeat to Spurs, and Ched Evans was up front.
The Match
With their side needing a win to give themselves any chance of progressing to the next round, the home fans generated huge noise in the compact stadium from the off. Marcano saw yellow on 11 minutes for hauling down Evans, and Serrano joined him in the book for charging down the free kick from a couple of yards away – but Garrido’s second attempt flew a long way over.
Tal Ben Haim was also booked on 17 minutes, and from the quickly-taken free kick the hosts took the lead. Serrano broke down the left and crossed, Schmeichel could not hold it and Pereira poked it home from close range.
Real were on top and City were struggling to impose themselves, but Robinho whipped a shot just over the bar on 28 minutes. But a minute later Real had doubled the lead, Serrano exchanging passes with Pereira and bursting through to slip it past Schmeichel.
Tchite tried his luck with a good volley on the turn on 38 minutes – but it went straight at Schmeichel.
City’s keeper needed treatment four minutes before the break when he took a blow to the head while racing out to get the ball away from Pereira. The Racing players and fans wanted him booked for a foul, but the referee sensibly just gave a corner to their loud disgust. Schmeichel recovered completely and caught the resulting corner easily.
So not the best half in terms of performance from City – but with PSG beating FC Twente by the same scoreline at the break, the Blues were set to end the group stage in first place.
Tempers boiled over on 48 minutes when Elano clashed with Cesar Navas, who became the fifth player to go into the book. The Brazilian and Luccin continued to chip away at each other and had to be separated, and Elano received a card himself. He nearly redeemed himself with an overhead kick that went straight at the keeper a few minutes later – but the flag was up for an infringement anyway.
The Spanish side went further ahead on 54 minutes when Benitez’s cross from the left was nodded back across goal from the far post inti the path of Valera, who could not miss from close range. They were also now looking at third place and qualification for the draw on Friday by oustripping PSG on goal difference as it stood.
Tchite missed a great chance on 63 minutes after going one-on-one with Schmeichel, rounding the keeper outside the box but then skewing his shot right across the face of goal. Felipe Caicedo, on as a substitute laid it off nicely to Vassell on 76 minutes, but his cross was hammered over the bar by Hamann from outside the area. Zabaleta and Kompany both went into the book as a bad-tempered night drew to a close.
But the biggest news of the night came when it emerged that PSG had gone 4-0 up with two late goals against Twente – and therefore knocking the Spanish side out on goal difference, despite their impressive display in Santander.
The hosts’ misery was compounded in stoppage time when Zabaleta crossed to Felipe Caicedo and the Ecuadorian finished neatly to bag his first goal for the Blues.
Thus City went through on top of the group, avoiding teams from the Champions League despite a below-par display in northern Spain.
