Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City: Winners and Losers from Champions League Game
Bayern Munich struck late to ensure that all of Manchester City's hard work at the Allianz Arena came to nothing as they lost 1-0.
A last-minute effort from former City defender Jerome Boateng nicked off Mario Gotze on its way into the net, as a previously unbeatable Joe Hart could only watch on helplessly.
The defeat is a huge blow to City's hopes of qualifying from Group E, especially as an impressive Roma began their campaign with a 5-1 hammering of CSKA Moscow.
Here are the winners and losers from Munich.
Winner: Joe Hart
1 of 6
Very occasionally Joe Hart has a game when the notion that people don’t rate him as a goalkeeper suddenly becomes ridiculous. This was one of them.
Of course City don’t often spend matches on the back foot given their immense power and resources, but they were here and Hart saved them on several occasions in the first half, most notably from Thomas Muller’s fierce header.
Maybe it is simply that Hart thrives on always being involved in the action and not underworked like he is in plenty of other City games. Either way, he can be proud of his night’s work despite the late heartbreak.
Loser: Yaya Toure
2 of 6
As has been seen in other City games so far this season, Yaya Toure looks somewhat off the pace and nowhere near the level that we have come to expect from him.
The Ivorian appears to be feeling the effects of a busy season last year and the World Cup—as well as difficulties in his family life of course—but it is far too early to suggest that this is anything other than a blip and that it won’t be overcome.
By the time Bayern come calling to Manchester for the fifth group game we’ll hopefully be able to see the real Yaya.
Winner: Jerome Boateng
3 of 6
Whether or not the shot took a nick off Mario Gotze is immaterial, it was Jerome Boateng who peeled away celebrating and who got his manager dancing on the touchline. In any case, Gotze has had enough glory of late.
This was the defender’s moment to show that he has come on leaps and bounds ever since his ill-fated and pretty short stint as a City player, as the World Cup winner managed to keep Edin Dzeko quiet for the evening and then pop up in the opposition’s penalty area late on.
When Pep Guardiola got the Bayern job many suspected that Boateng would be among the players that he’d be looking to move on, but he has established himself in the team now and deserved his moment in the spotlight, even if Gotze eventually takes the goal from him.
Loser: Robert Lewandowski
4 of 6
Given the hype that greeted his move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, the fact that Robert Lewandowski has just one goal in four Bayern appearances will become headline news in Germany.
He never really got close to a strike, bar a difficult chance that he sent into the side-netting after more good goalkeeping from Hart, and there was something about his body language that didn’t really add up.
Of course, he was up against formidable opponents in Vincent Kompany and Martin Demichelis, but an improvement is both needed and expected.
Winner: Fernandinho
5 of 6
As well as Hart, the City outfield player who could emerge from this defeat with the most credit was the Brazilian Fernandinho, who simply relishes a game like this when he’s on form.
The sight of some of the Germans who inflected that remarkable World Cup semi-final defeat upon his Brazil side could have made him go into his shell, but he launched into challenges, protected the back four and broke play up well, something that was even more impressive given that he was getting no help from Toure.
City would have liked the option of summer signing Fernando available, and had the pair of them been unleashed on the Bayern midfield, then this could have been a different story.
Loser: Manuel Pellegrini
6 of 6
A point away at Bayern would have been a great result, but the manner of this loss coupled with the racing start that Roma have made in Group E make Matchday 2’s meeting with the Italians a huge game for City.
Manuel Pellegrini, forced from the touchline here, must know how important it will be to gain a result in that clash, as a failure to win could leave City cut adrift and facing the kind of early exit that they hoped was a thing of the past.
