The Blues now need to beat Borussia Monchengladbach in the final match in a fortnight and hope Juventus drop points against Sevilla in order to finish as group winners.
Worryingly, Joe Hart had to leave the pitch with an injury towards the end of the game as City’s injury jinx appeared to have struck once again.
The Blues went into the game desperate to erase the memory of the weekend drubbing to Liverpool and Manuel Pellegrini made three changes to his starting XI with Nicolas Otamendi, Fernandinho returning along with the welcome return of Gael Clichy – playing his first game for seven months.
City had the luxury of knowing that qualification for the Round of 16 had already been secured, but pole position in Group D was the target for a team that had fallen to Barcelona in successive years having finished group runners-up.
Second place in this competition generally means one of Europe’s ‘big boys’ await in the next phase.
Beaten finalists Juventus had, of course, already beaten City in the first meeting between the clubs and after a shaky start to the season, came into this game with just one defeat in their past 10 games in all competitions.
The ghost green Blues started brightly and a clever Kevin De Bruyne cross caused early panic in The Old Lady’s defence and Fernandinho’s low drive from the edge of the box was a whisker away from being flicked home by Sergio Aguero.
The hosts, in contrast, offered little in the opening exchanges as City dominated possession and after 15 minutes, the visitors should have been ahead as Yaya Toure collected De Bruyne’s pinpoint cross and the ball fell to Fernandinho blazed over from six yards out with the goal at his mercy.
It proved a costly miss, too, as City fell behind three minutes later
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As Fernandinho drove forward, he played the ball to Toure on the edge of the box but the Ivorian missed the pass completely and Paul Pogba then broke forward, fed Alex Sandro and his cross was delicately volleyed past Joe Hart by Mario Mandzukic.
It was cruel on the Blues who had been much the better side up to that point and Otamendi claimed he’d been fouled in the build-up, but the goal stood.
Hart made a fine save from a Mandzukic snap-shot nine minutes later as Juventus gradually turned the screw but a curling shot from Toure just before the half-hour mark reminded the Italians that City were more than capable of finding a way back into the game.
Two minutes before the break Aguero was gifted a one-on-one by Marchisio’s errant back-pass but Gianluigi Buffon was off his line in a flash and smothered the opportunity while preserving his team’s lead until the break.
City upped the ante after the re-start and Fernando’s header from a De Bruyne corner saw Buffon push the ball on to the post with Toure unable to force home.
In a lively spell, Juventus then broke forward and almost doubled their lead as a sumptuous Morata chip left Hart rooted to the spot but Sturaro’s attempt to turn the ball into the empty net was scuppered by the outside of the post.
Then De Bruyne clipped a ball into Aguero who had a clear sight on goal but his volley was blocked as City continued to knock on the door without reward
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Juventus again caught the Blues on the break on 79 minutes and as Morata cut inside and Sagna he looked set to roll the ball past Hart but the England keeper made yet another superb save with an outstretched foot.
In a frantic finish, City again missed a golden chance to level the scores when De Bruyne’s low cross found sub Raheem Sterling a couple of yards from goal but he couldn’t turn the ball home - it was a guilt-edged chance and the clearest opportunity of the night.
Shortly after, Hart was replaced by Willy Caballero with an injury that wasn’t entirely clear, but he must have been troubled enough to leave the field and the Blues will be hoping their inspirational No.1 won’t be side-lined for too long.
Though the Italians saw the final minutes out, City will take plenty of encouragement from a game they were never second best in and one that showed yet again how they are evolving in European competition.
