- Aug 25, 2010
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They really are that good. Over the last two years, they only get knocked out of a competition by an almost freak result...meaning they win lots of matches and lots of trophies. And this match was another case of it - freakish that we managed a delightful point. I'll agree we weren't at our best. But it is only on our best day we can compete with them. They weren't at their best either or we'd have been thumped.
We didn't make them look good, they made themselves look great because they are such a hard-working team off the ball. Honestly, there may be no other team that can do this to us with regularity. And I say that as someone who reckons we give City as good a run for their money as anyone.
We couldn't get a foothold because they wouldn't let us settle into any sort of rhythm. They are unrelenting. I think that goes unnoticed far too often with City. They are as coordinated and effective, possibly more so, out-of-possession as with it.
If we weren't "narrow and defensive" we may have gotten tonked. I wouldn't blame our set up too much, although I was concerned that Moura wasn't coming on sooner. We could have really used Son as the lone attacker that may have made them think more about the ball over the top. You have to have a way to make them second guess how small they want to squeeze the play.
Last season in the league, they beat us 1-0 home and away. 2-2 this season.
Champions league was 1-0 to us and they won 4-3 at their gaff.
So over five games, quite a sample, on aggregate it's 8 - 6 to them.
Not light years ahead like some would have you believe.
But ahead.