Manchester City 1-2 CSKA Moscow: Despair for City

Yaya Toure of Manchester City is shown a red card by Referee Tasos Sidriopoulos. Picture: Getty

Scorers: Manchester City - Y Touré (8); CSKA - Doumbia (2, 34)

The pair were both dismissed in the second half as City struggled to get back into a Group E contest they were anxious to win to revive their campaign.

Seydou Doumbia was again City’s nemesis, following up his influential role in last month’s 2-2 draw in Moscow with both CSKA goals. His Ivory Coast team-mate Toure had cancelled out his first with a superb free kick – but City again lacked spark in Europe’s elite competition. The result left them with just two points from four games and bottom of the group.

City could have had two penalties in the dying minutes but Sergio Aguero, denied two spot-kicks in Sunday’s Manchester derby, was twice refused again.

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City’s night could hardly have begun in worse fashion as Gael Clichy was penalised for handball and Bebras Natcho swung in a free kick for Doumbia to head in after two minutes.

The ground was stunned into silence and was quieter than the Khimki Arena had been when the sides met a fortnight ago in a game that was officially played behind closed doors. Prior to kick-off many City fans had made themselves heard as they booed the Champions League anthem in protest at what they believe has been unfair treatment by Uefa.

But the supporters’ attempts to follow that by generating an atmosphere to inspire City quickly fell flat as a result of Doumbia’s firm header. City needed something else to rouse them and Toure provided it with an exquisite free kick. City were caught out again when Clichy gave the ball away and Natcho teed up Doumbia again after 34 minutes. Again his finish was clinical as he clipped the ball inside Joe Hart’s near post.

City’s problems reached serious proportions as Fernandinho was dismissed in the second half. The Brazilian, booked minutes earlier for a foul on Dzagoev, was penalised again for blocking Musa on the edge of the area. It seemed accidental but referee Tasos Sidiropoulos took a dim view and showed a second yellow – and the red.

There was further controversy as Aguero was felled outside the area by a combination of CSKA players. Wernbloom might easily have received a second booking but only Sergei Ignashevich was cautioned.

City crumbled and their frustration was evident in Toure’s sending off eight minutes from time. Toure’s run was blocked by Roman Eremenko but the City midfielder raised his hands to shove him away. He had already been booked but Sidiropoulos showed a straight red.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Jesus Navas (Nasri 46), Toure, Fernando (Dzeko 65), Milner, Aguero, Jovetic (Fernandinho 46). Subs Not Used: Caballero, Sagna, Mangala, Boyata.

CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev, Mario Fernandes, V Berezutski, Ignashevich, Shchennikov, Musa, Wernbloom, Eremenko, Natcho, Dzagoev (Efremov 86), Doumbia (Milanov 66). Subs Not Used: Chepchugov, A Berezutski, Nababkin, Cauna, Bazelyuk.

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