Ajax vs Manchester City FC UEFA Champions League 2012
The final whistle is blown.
Ajax win their first game against English opposition at home since 1980, but more importantly than that, their qualification hopes remain alive. Siem de Jong, Niklas Moisander and Christian Eriksen got the crucial goals, after Samir Nasri had put City ahead.
City are now bottom of Group D, with a solitary point. Dortmund go top on seven points after beating Madrid, who remain a point behind the German champions. Ajax are up and running with today's three pointer.
Roberto Mancini, Manchester City coach: I think that they played better than us. They played better football. Probably it is my fault, I prepared badly for this game, and I did not prepare the players. I take the blame for this defeat.
Micah Richards, Manchester City defender: I’m very disappointed with the way the lads performed tonight. I thought we would get three points. Tomorrow we will be back to the drawing board. It is hard, we wanted to come here and win.
Micah Richards, Manchester City defender: We got beat by a very good Ajax side. In the first half when we went up they were probably the better team. In the second half we crumbled.
Though their hopes are slim, Roberto Mancini's men will want they can shift the momentum when these two sides compete at the City of Manchester Stadium on 6 November on matchday four.
Frank de Boer, Ajax coach: If we want to survive in Europe we need a result from this match and that's our goal. Our team is learning so let's hope they are quick students. We must have confidence that we can perform much better and if we do that, we can get some points.
Roberto Mancini, Manchester City manager: This group is very difficult but we have four games. Ajax play fantastic football but they have a young team. It's difficult to play away, and it's clear that we can lose our chances [of qualifying], but we need to do our best.
The match is under way.
Norwegian referee Svein Oddvar Moen's whistle kicks the game off. Ajax are first with the ball, a win is a necessity for them.
LINE UP :
Ajax: Vermeer, Alderweireld, Moisander, Blind, Van Rhijn, Poulsen, Eriksen, De Jong, Schøne, Sana, Babel SUBS: Cillessen, Veltman, Dijks, Enoh, Sulejmani, Boerrigter, Fischer.
Manchester City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Milner, Nasri, Barry, Yaya Touré, Džeko, Agüero SUBS: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Nastasić, Evans, Sinclair, Tévez, Balotelli.
minute 22 Nasri (Man. City) scores,Assist by Milner (Man. City)
With their first opening City go ahead. Micah Richards breaks down the right, finding James Milner centrally, who roles the Frenchman into the left side of the area and he strokes a side-footed finish past Kenneth Vermeer.
Samir Nasri gets the congratulations from Sergio Agüero after putting City ahead in the 22nd minute.
Ajax dictating possession, with 62% of the ball, but they are lacking the edge at the moment to threaten the City defence, who are happy to let the home side have the ball in front of them, and repelling when Ajax close in on the box
minute 29 ,Blind (Ajax) concedes a free-kick for a foul on Džeko (Man. City).
Blind (Ajax) is shown a yellow card.
minute,33 Van Rhijn (Ajax) misses the target.
The right-back finds acres of room on the right, cutting into the area past Gaël Clichy, before shooting left-footed from a tight angle, but the ball flies well over Joe Hart's bar.
Ajax waste a free-kick in a good position, as Christian Eriksen plays it short to Lasse Schøne, but the Dane's curling ball into the box loops straight into the arms of Joe Hart.
minute 41 Schøne (Ajax) misses the target.
minute 45,Assist by Van Rhijn (Ajax)
S. De Jong (Ajax) scores!
Ajax are level thanks to their captain. The No10 pounces on a loose ball 30 metres from goal, spraying a pass out to the right-back Ricardo van Rhijn, who fires in a low cross which De Jong guides expertly into the corner from the edge of the area.
The referee blows for half-time.
Amsterdam ArenA: Ajax were certainly the better team better in the opening 20 minutes and City’s goal came against the run of play. After that the English champions visibly grew in confidence, but Siem de Jong’s equaliser was just reward for his side’s battling display.
The second half begins.
A great goal got Ajax back into it at the death in the first half, but they need to go on to win if they are to keep their qualification hopes alive.
minute 57,Assist by Eriksen (Ajax)
Moisander (Ajax) scores!
The outswinging corner from the right allows the central defender to beat Joleon Lescott to the ball at the front post, and his flicked header sneaks into the far post with Joe Hart helpless.
minute 63,Kolarov (in) - Lescott (out) (Man. City).
Roberto Mancini rings the changes, bringing on an attacking full-back for a central defender. City, it appears, are changing to a three-man defence, made up of Micah Richards, Vincent Kompany and Gaël Clichy.
minute 66 Milner (Man. City) misses the target.
The midfielder gets across Daley Blind at the back post, as Aleksandar Kolarov's cross from the left curls in, but the header is just over the bar.
minute 57 Moisander (Ajax) scores!
The outswinging corner from the right allows the central defender to beat Joleon Lescott to the ball at the front post, and his flicked header sneaks into the far post with Joe Hart helpless.
minute 68 Eriksen (Ajax) scores!
The hosts are two ahead. Lasse Schøne steals the ball from Gareth Barry 30 metres from goal, allowing the Danish midfielder to drift forward to the edge of the area, before a drilled left-footed shot deflects off Gaël Clichy and past Joe Hart.
Minute 71 Tévez (in) - Barry (out) (Man. City)
MINUTE 73 Hart (Man. City) blocks a shot.
Ajax are playing on the break now, and Christian Eriksen and Ryan Babel do well on the left, but the latter's shot from an angle is straight at the goalkeeper.
minute 74 Enoh (in) - Sana (out) (Ajax).
minute 77 Nasri (Man. City) misses the target.
The winger has a great opening to pull one back, but, after neat passing releases him in the area, the Frenchman slips with only Kenneth Vermeer to beat and his effort squirms wide
minute 78 Balotelli (in) - Milner (out) (Man. City)
Ajax celebrate their third.
It is all Manchester City now, but with so many attacking players on the pitch they are very open to counterattacks.
The final whistle is blown. AJAX 3- MAN.CITY 1.
