Fonseca dons mask of Zorro after Shakhtar win
Print Edition
Shakhtar Donetsk advanced to the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League with a 2-1 victory over Manchester City on Wednesday, prompting the Ukrainian club鈥檚 coach to attend his news conference dressed as Zorro.
Paulo Fonseca appeared in a black hat, cape and mask after his team had ended the English club鈥檚 unbeaten record in all competitions this season.
He was fulfilling a promise he鈥檇 made to dress up as the fictional vigilante if Shakhtar qualified from a group containing favorites City and Napoli.
鈥淭his is the most joyful press conference of my career,鈥 Fonseca told reporters.
鈥淚 feel great joy. I think not only Shakhtar鈥檚 supporters but all Ukrainians have to be proud of our team. Twelve points in such a group is fantastic.鈥
In freezing temperatures against a Shakhtar team that only needed a draw to be sure of qualifying, City struggled to cope with rapid counterattacks by the Ukrainian side鈥檚 Brazilian forwards.
Defeat means City, which had already qualified as Group F winner, failed to become only the seventh club in UCL history to win every game in the group stage.
鈥淲e lose a game, it鈥檚 part of our profession,鈥 City coach Pep Guardiola said. 鈥淵ou cannot expect and all the season I鈥檝e said many times, we are not going to win all the games... We are going to lose games, today was the first.鈥
With one eye on Sunday鈥檚 Manchester derby, Guardiola gave starts to youngsters Phil Foden on the left and Tosin Adarabioyo in the center of defense.
Shakhtar started aggressively and took the lead in the 26th minute when Bernard cut in from the left side of the box and curled a shot inside the far post, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Ederson.
Eight minutes later, Ederson was left helpless in a different way for Shakhtar鈥檚 second goal as Marlos passed into space behind the City defense. Ismaily, already in behind right-back Danilo, sprinted to beat Ederson to the ball before rounding the 鈥榢eeper and stroking a shot into the unguarded net.
City earned a consolation goal in added time when Sergio Aguero scored from the penalty spot after Bogdan Butko brought down Gabriel Jesus.
It was City鈥檚 first competitive loss since being beaten by Arsenal in an FA Cup semifinal in April. City had been unbeaten in 28 games since then, 22 of them this season.
Feyenoord beat third-place Napoli 2-1 in Wednesday鈥檚 other game in Group F.
England, meanwhile, became the first country to have five teams in the UCL knockout stage after Liverpool completed a sweep for Premier League clubs with a 7-0 thrashing of Spartak Moscow.
Liverpool, which won Europe鈥檚 top competition five times, clinched Group E after Philippe Coutinho secured his first hat trick for the club.
Liverpool was joined in the last 16 by former champion Porto and Sevilla.
Liverpool was one of four English teams to top a group, along with Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Chelsea completed the sweep, signaling a revival by English clubs after years of underachievement since the west London club was European champion in 2012.
The draw for the last 16 takes place in Switzerland on Monday.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
