City blitz Bayern
Team:
Gunn, Bossaerts (Smith-Brown 65), Maffeo, Adarabioyo, Tasende, Bryan, Barker, Ntcham, Ambrose (Nemane78), Byrne (Celina 62), Pozo
Subs: Albinson (GK), Tattum, Oseni, Holland
Score: 4-1
Scorers: Byrne (26), Pozo (43), Tasende (60), Celina (66)
It was a great start to City’s first outing in the 2014/15 UEFA Youth Champions league competition, with a comfortable victory over familiar opposition, Bayern Munich. The two sides met last season home and away with the young Blues winning the home game 6-0 and earning a 0-0 draw at the Grunwalder Stadium in Munich.
Only four players from that fixture in December 2013 remained in a much changed City side, which comprised of a large percentage of last season’s highly successful under 18 team
City started really brightly and Pozo almost gave his side an early lead following a great run by Ambrose who picked out the Spaniard with a good cross but he was unable to adjust his body shape and put his effort wide of the goal.
The home side then began to force their way back into the game and there were a few tense moments for the defence but to no avail for Bayern. The young Blues soon regained their composure and took the lead on 26 minutes , Tasende crossed from the left and Ambrose headed the ball back in and there was Jack Byrne to touch past the defender to create space for an easy finish.
Bayern were then reduced to ten men when keeper, David Hundertmark, was sent off for handling outside of the box and from that point on City never really looked back and scored at will, Pozo added a second just before the half-time break, great play by Angelino on the left produced a peach of a ball to Pozo, who dropped his shoulders twice to go past two defenders and then finish low and hard past the sub keeper.
Angelino capped a fine performance with a goal on the hour mark; Brandon Barker cut inside and played the ball through to an overlapping Tasende who finished well. Celina, then, within four minutes of coming on as a substitute made it four, when he was sent clear in the area and finished at the second attempt after latching onto the rebound from the keeper.
Ambrose than had a chance to make it five, but his header from a Pozo cross hit the bar before Bayern pulled a goal back deep into injury time
So a great start to the second season in the UEFA Youth competition sees an emphatic win for Patrick Vieira’s side
In the other game in City’s group Roma defeated CSKA Moscow, 3-1.Oh and the captain of Roma is called ‘Pellegrini’