Manchester City 2 (Rami o.g. 37’, de Bruyne 92’) Sevilla 1 (Konoplyanka 30’)
The most astonishing part of this victory is that, for a long time, Manchester City were straying dangerously close to this becoming another of those ordeals that must make everyone connected with the club, whether it be in Ardwick or Abu Dhabi, wonder when everything will finally click. Manuel Pellegrini's team looked awfully dishevelled at times and the crowd's dissatisfaction was becoming increasingly voluble until that moment, deep in stoppage time, when Kevin De Bruyne reminded everyone why City had made him their record signing.
The left-foot shot that won this match will certainly help to repay some of the £55m City spent to prise him away from Wolfsburg. De Bruyne took his goal brilliantly and that goal completely changes the complexion of Group D before these sides renew acquaintances at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on November 3rd.
At the same time, it was difficult not to watch City’s latest attempt to get to grips with the Champions League and wonder whether Pellegrini will always be incapable of finding the keys to unlock the secrets of this competition. It needed an own goal to bring them level and their fortune also extended to the way their opponents, playing the more cohesive and joined-up football, could not capitalise on the home side’s flaws.
Sevilla are currently 13th in La Liga but they have beaten Barcelona recently and their prowess in cup competitions should be measured by their back-to-back Europa League triumphs. Unai Emery’s team quickly made it apparent they wanted to examine City’s occasionally brittle nerve in this competition.
They moved the ball quickly and with imagination and they also had that knack of knowing when to speed up play and when to slow it down. Yevhen Konoplyanka, the goalscorer, was a constant threat and it was probably not a coincidence that their most threatening attacks often emanated on the side where Bacary Sagna was filling in as left-back, with not a great deal of defensive support from De Bruyne.
Konoplyanka, a Ukraine international who has apparently been on Chelsea'a radar, had already thudded a free-kick against the upright, with Joe Hart and the entire City defence anticipating a cross, before he capped off a 10-minute spell of concerted pressure with the opening goal. Again, it emanated from Sevilla's right flank, with three players ganging up on two defenders. Ever Banega played in Vitolo and the cutback fell invitingly for Konoplyanka in the middle of the penalty area. His right-foot shot picked out the bottom corner and at that stage the home crowd could have been forgiven for thinking it was shaping up to be another night when City's deficiencies were laid bare against European opposition.
All the usual problems were apparent: too open in midfield, not taking enough care of the ball and susceptible at the back, their run of games without a clean sheet now stretching to eight.
By that stage, however, there had also been signs that Sevilla might be vulnerable in defence. Jesus Navas began the game as though desperate to impress against his old club, not only running menacingly with the ball but also reminding the City crowd that he can deliver a fine cross. De Bruyne was prominently involved on the left but it was a surprise, perhaps, that Pellegrini felt that was the best role for the German rather than giving him the central position where he excelled for Wolfsburg and moving Raheem Sterling wide.
The equaliser came six minutes later and, though the public announcer gave the goal to Wilfried Bony, it would be enormously generous if it was not logged as an own goal from Adil Rami. Bony had merely jutted out his left leg after Sterling's shot came back off the goalkeeper Sergio Rico. Yaya Toure, played in by Navas's clever pass, had created the danger by eluding Timothee Kolodziejczak on the byline and the ricochet off Rami wrong-footed Rico before the ball plopped into the corner of the net.
City continued to ride their luck bearing in mind the moment, 10 minutes into the second half, when Sevilla's striker, Kevin Gameiro, turned a header over the crossbar from only six yards out. Gameiro was unmarked and at this level it was the sort of chance that is rarely spurned.
Without Sergio Aguero and David Silva, it was inevitable that City would not be at their most exhilarating. Pellegrini, incensed by Vincent Kompany playing for Belgium during his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury, also chose to leave City's usual captain on the bench for a second successive match. Kompany's form might be erratic but he is the best organiser City have in defence and there was a makeshift feel to this back four. Eliaquim Mangala did good things but he and Nicolas Otamendi leave the impression that if the opposition keep pressing a mistake will happen. There are also clear signs Pablo Zabaleta is not the player he once was.
Bony is also a clear downgrade on Aguero and his night ended after 76 minutes when he was replaced by Fernando, with De Bruyne asked to experiment as a striker. And then there was the final breakaway. Toure fed the ball to De Bruyne who turned inside Vicente Iborra and scored with exquisite accuracy.
– Guardian Service
