Ecstatic Pellegrini purrs over ‘perfect’ De Bruyne
Print Edition
MANCHESTER City manager Manuel Pellegrini branded Kevin De Bruyne the “perfect” signing after the Belgian forward’s 91st-minute goal snatched a 2-1 UEFA Champions League victory over Sevilla.
With Wednesday’s Group D game at the Etihad Stadium poised at 1-1, Pellegrini rejigged his attack by moving De Bruyne up front and the change paid off when the 24-year-old fired home left-footed from Yaya Toure’s pass.
It was De Bruyne’s first Champions League goal since his club-record 55-million pound (US$84.8 million) transfer from VfL Wolfsburg and it had the effect of lifting City three points clear of Sevilla and to within a point of leader Juventus at the group’s halfway point.
The Serie A giant was held to a 0-0 stalemate by Borussia Moenchengladbach in Turin
“We bought Kevin because we thought he was a very creative player and he has goals in him,” Pellegrini told his post-match press conference.
“This team always tries to play attractive and offensive football and for that you need good players. I think that in all senses, he was the perfect player to arrive to our team.”
City trailed for only six minutes, Adil Rami’s own goal cancelling out Yehven Konoplyanka’s 30th-minute opener, and yet prior to a late surge by the Premier League leader, it was the Spanish side which looked the more likely winner.
But after an opening 1-2 loss to Juventus, City has now come from behind to win twice, having beaten Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 on its previous outing courtesy of a last-minute Sergio Aguero penalty.
In Group B, Anthony Martial gave away an early penalty and then scored the equalizer as Manchester United, which faces City in a league derby on Sunday, came back to draw 1-1 with CSKA Moscow.
Wolfsburg’s 2-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in the night’s other group game leaves the German team top with six points, two points ahead of United and CSKA, with PSV last on three points.
In Group A, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic struggled as Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid played to a lackluster 0-0 draw in Paris.
With two earlier wins for each, Real and PSG have seven points. Malmo reached three points by defeating pointless Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at home.
In Group C, it was: Atletico Madrid 4, FC Astana 0; and Galatasary 2, Benfica 1.
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