UEFA-CL: Manchester City v. Ajax
2:45 PM ET
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Good afternoon footy fans! I'm David Esposto and welcome to theScore Live Blog - Champions League Edition on Matchday 4. Today's clash is from Group D, as Manchester City welcome Ajax in a must-win for the English Champions. All or nothing for the Citizens today. -
Match Preview:
These are trying times for Manchester City. Following a stalemate performance away to West Ham, the English champions face a dire, must win situation as they welcome Ajax to the Etihad Stadium in a Group D clash in the Champions League.
Winless, and sitting bottom in a group which features German champions Dortmund, Dutch champions Ajax and Spanish champions Real Madrid, the Citizens will be looking to record their first win after stuttering out of the block with two losses and draw. To further compound the misery for City, manager Roberto Mancini has been under fire recently for comments he has made regarding his tenure at the club, and where the club is heading, saying that City were not yet ‘equipped’ to win the Champions League.
Second from the bottom, Dutch powerhouse Ajax head to Manchester full of confidence, after their stunning 3-1 victory against the Citizens on October 24.
Can City turn their Champions League campaign around? Or will Ajax play spoiler?
Tune into theScore Live Blog to find out! -
Here are your starting XIs, formations and available substitutions for both sides:
Man City (4-2-3-1): Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Clichy, Javi Garcia, Barry, Nasri, Toure, Aguero, Tevez. Subs: Pantilimon, Maicon, Dzeko, Sinclair, Kolarov, Balotelli, Meppen-Walter.
Ajax (4-3-3): Vermeer, Van Rhijn, Alderweireld, Moisander, Blind, De Jong, Poulsen, Schone, Boerrigter, Eriksen, Babel. Subs: Cillessen, Enoh, Sana, Veltman, Denswil, Dijks, Fischer. -
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5 mins: Good strength by Yaya Toure to work some space, as City are on the attack now. The ball then falls to Aguero outside of the area, he shoots and it takes a deflection for a City corner from the right. Barry whips it in but Vermeer is there to collect quickly.
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RT @FootballFunnys: Manchester City's starting XI today costs £180 million. Ajax starting XI costs £3 million. This is how football teams should be run.by oemauuu via twitter 11/6/2012 7:52:22 PM -
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10 mins: GOAL! Ajax 1-0! De Jong puts the guests up early! The ball is drifted into the area and it takes a double deflection, as City don't attack the ball well and it rolls around the area before De Jong stretches and puts it into the City goal. City definitely should've done better but could not deal with it. Messy goal, but it counts all the same.
City 0 Ajax 1 -
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17 mins: GOAL! Ajax 2-0! De Jong on the double! Another case of poor defending from City. The ball from Eriksen is whipped into the near post and De Jong gets his head onto it, and puts it into the top left corner of the net. Poor defending once again from the corner.
City 0 Ajax 2 -
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Manchester City 0 - 2 Ajax Champions Leagueby jhonger flores via twitter 11/6/2012 8:06:17 PM -
"@SuperSportBlitz: Champions League – Goal Alert: Manchester City 0-2* Ajax *(De Jong 17‘) #SSFootball"by ♣ρhiℓâ₪sĸÌ♣ via twitter 11/6/2012 8:06:31 PM -
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22 mins: GOAL! City peg one back! 2-1! Toure with a great goal! The Ivorian shows off his brute strength to hold off the defender, control on the chest, and volley it emphatically into the Ajax net, while falling to the ground. City back in this now.
City 1 Ajax 2 -
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25 mins: Babel goes to ground, but it looked more of a trip then a foul from City, no call given, as play continues. Schone then wins the ball, but Kompany interjects and clears for an Ajax throw. It's then played into the box from a cross on the right, but no Ajax player there to meet it halfway.
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