Hart talks down one-man show

4 October 2012 04:11

Goalkeeper Joe Hart sought to play down his importance after Manchester City salvaged a 1-1 draw at home to Borusssia Dortmund on Wednesday.

England international Hart produced several exceptional saves to deny the impressive Bundesliga title holders in the Champions League clash at Etihad Stadium.

Trailing 1-0 with time running out, City were awarded a fortunate penalty for a handball against Dortmund defender Neven Subotic.

Substitute Mario Balotelli dispatched the spot-kick to earn a share of the spoils, but Hart was undeniably the man of the match for the home team.

"It is nice to make some saves but it is not something I have to do a great deal of at Manchester City," Hart said.

"When required I always try to step in and I was required a few times tonight."

After giving up a 2-1 lead to lose 3-2 away to Real Madrid on matchday one, City must now aim to beat Ajax home and away in their next two matches if they are to have a chance of progressing to the knockout stages.

"Dortmund are a fantastic team, they were the pot four side in our group which shows what a fantastic group we are in and what a tough task we have," Hart said.

"We have got to enjoy it and if we get through we can take a big pat on the back but we have to big games coming up against Ajax.

"Ideally we would look to win all our games like we looked to win tonight but sometimes you have to take what you are given and it will be a big game in Ajax.

"First and foremost it is away from home which is always tough in the Champions League and hopefully we can improve on last time.

Dortmund were understandably frustrated by the referee's decision to penalise Subotic, after Sergio Aguero's shot from point-blank rangecame off the defender's thigh and onto his hand.

"Never. Not a chance," Subotic told Sky Sports when asked if it was a penalty.

"He shoots from half a yard and I just have my hand. I've just seen the pictures, but obviously I have a hand, I can't cut it off and he hits it.

"I think it's clear to see in the pictures that I wasn't trying to get to the ball because I didn't have time to react. Therefore, it was never in my life a penalty."

Klopp talks up Dortmund defence

3 October 2012 17:56

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has backed his defence to take it up a notch after their recent poor performances.

The German champions play Manchester City on Wednesday, and Klopp has called for improvement as the club aims to defend its league title and make an impact in the Champions League.

"We have we lost our sync in defence during the 14-week summer pause," he told Bild.

"However, we are like an orchestra. The Berlin Philharmonic do not start playing to the best of their abilities right from the start. It takes team practice. We can and must find our sync again."

Dortmund currently sit third in the Bundesliga table, seven points behind leaders Bayern Munich, and Klopp feels that his side have given their rivals a big advantage in the quest for silverware.

"We have done Bayern a big favour. They had two very good seasons but we were better both times. That has made them even more determined to make up for their heartbreaks."

"They have high quality. There is no team currently as keen to make up for their short comings as Bayern."

Toure bracing for ´massive´ test

3 October 2012 16:00

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure says Wednesday's Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund is a must-win match.

The energetic Ivorian revealed that last season's campaign - in which the Premier League champions failed to qualify from the group stages - was a 'disaster' for the club.

And despite disappointment in the opening game this year, which they lost 3-2 to Real Madrid, the 29-year-old former Barcelona player believes his side can follow in the footsteps of rivals Manchester United and Chelsea and win the European crown this season.

"Hopefully it is going to be a massive game for us. Borussia Dortmund are a fantastic team. They work very hard in attack and defence and we know it is going to be tough and we have to deliver," he told reporters.

"Our last campaign was a disaster. We want to change that. Look at our rivals, Chelsea and Manchester United; they have appeared in a final and this year I hope we can go far and even win it.

"The first year was quite hard. This can be massive for us to get to the second round. We know we are in a tough group and we have to get a good result."

City find themselves in Group G against a trio of domestic champions in Jose Mourinho's Madrid, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund. However, Toure is eager to please the home fans by beating the Germans on Wednesday evening.

"In our life we know what we have to do but we understand the position we are in because we lost in Madrid," Toure said.

"Now we are playing the first game in the Champions League at home and we want to show our fans what we can do and produce a good result. With a team like this we can go very far in the competition."

Klopp chasing result against City

3 October 2012 10:44

Borussia Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp is determined to come away with a positive result from their Champions League clash against Manchester City.

The 45-year-old feels Dortmund have learned from last year's experiences in European club football's elite competition, and believes they have what it takes to leave Manchester with at least one point from Wednesday's Group D encounter.

"It'll be a very special occasion, but at end of the day we've come here to get something out of the game. We're very focused on that goal, but if it doesn't happen we'll be able to take that too," Klopp said.

"It's not really a question of getting used to the Champions League. We've taken a step forward, won other competitions and learned from our defeats in our previous campaign.

"We saw their game against Arsenal, which was a 1-1 draw, and that was quite important as I think the way Arsenal play is quite similar to us.

"City can take time to adapt to that type of football, but then again the Champions League is a different competition."

UEFA Champions League Group D preview: City welcome dogged Dortmund

2 October 2012 07:03

Every match appears crucial in the Champions League's 'Group of Death', with Manchester City hosting Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

The undisputed toughest pool of the 2012/13 competition, Group D features the title-holders of four major European leagues, with City (English Premier League) and Dortmund (Bundesliga) joined by Ajax (Eredivisie) and Real Madrid (La Liga).

City were placed in a similarly unforgiving group last season, and finished third behind Napoli and eventual runners-up Bayern Munich.

Last month they came close to making a stunning start to this campaign, leading 1-0 and then 2-1 away to Real, but conceded late on to lose 3-2 in arguably the match of the tournament so far.

Dortmund also endured a disappointing return to elite competition in 2011/12, finishing bottom of a group containing Arsenal, Marseille and Olympiakos.

Like City, Juergen Klopp's men went on to claim their domestic title, and will be determined not to suffer a repeat of continental disappointment.

Dortmund made a solid, if unspectacular, start on matchday one, beating the weakest team in the group - Ajax - 1-0 at home.

A tougher challenge looms this week, with Klopp taking his players to face Roberto Mancini's expensively assembled squad at Etihad Stadium.

A host of stars are in contention to grab the spotlight, with the likes of City's Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Carlos Tevez going up against Dortmund stars Marco Reus, Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski.

City triumphed 2-1 away at Fulham in the league on Saturday, courtesy of a late winner from substitute Edin Dzeko.

Dortmund warmed up for the clash in far more impressive fashion, hammering Borussia Moenchengladbach 5-0 at home.

In the other Group D fixture, Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid renew acquaintances with Dutch side Ajax, after the two clubs were also drawn together at this stage of the tournament last season.

Real defeated Ajax 3-0 home and away last term, and any result other than a winner for the Spanish champions would be a surprise.

Mourinho's men have been shaky early in their title defence, but they finally found form with a 5-1 hammering of Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday, star man Cristiano Ronaldo netting a hat-trick in the romp at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

Ajax also enjoyed a morale-boosting victory last weekend, downing Eredivisie leaders Twente 1-0 at home to move three points off the top of the table.

But they must surely produce an extraordinary performance if they are to interfere with Real's intended march to the latter stages of Europe's elite club competition.

Mancini: Tevez is a changed man

30 September 2012 13:43

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini says he is delighted with Carlos Tevez's improved attitude this season.

The Argentine striker's career at City looked to be over after he refused to leave the bench to warm up against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last season, and did not play for over five months after being placed on gardening leave by the club.

However, the forward returned to the fold to help City's title push last season, and is now in fine form and fitness, with Mancini suggesting the pair have put the infamous Munich debacle behind them and are both striving for success in the 2012-13 campaign.

"Carlos is a top striker, one of the best in the Premier League," Mancini said.

"My relationship with Carlos is good. I am happy with the way we handled (Munich).

"When we started the season this year he was serious and working well for the first time after four or five years.

"I was happy with his work in pre-season. He played in the first three or four games I am happy with him. These days we don't talk about what happened in Munich. We have talked enough."

Tevez has been in excellent form for the champions this season, and his goal against QPR earlier in September ensured he was the first ever Manchester City player to score 50 goals in the Premier League.

Mancini will need Tevez's talents if City are to negotiate a tricky Champions League group, in which they have been drawn against Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax.

"Things haven't changed. He is still a top player and will be important for us," he said.

"(Dortmund) are very good on the counter attack and we expect a very difficult game - it's a really tough group.

"We want to go to the second stage this year so it's important we do well against Dortmund. They are probably our main rivals to qualify. But don't forget they only beat Ajax in the last minute."