Napoli 2 - 1 Manchester City: Defeated City need a favour from Villarreal to qualify

ROBERTO Mancini refused to write off Manchester City’s Champions League qualification hopes despite last night’s disappointing 2-1 defeat away to Napoli.

Edinson Cavani’s double sunk City in Italy, despite Mario Balotelli’s strike, and the result means that, even if Mancini’s men are victorious in their final game against group winners Bayern Munich in a fortnight’s time, they will be reliant on Napoli slipping up against pointless Villarreal.

But the City manager said: “We have another game and Villarreal can beat Napoli.

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“It is the first time we have played Champions League but I don’t think Villarreal will lose another game. They can win or draw – why not?

“Everything is not finished – never say never.”

Reflecting on the setback, the Italian added: “We didn’t deserve to lose, we should think we can score three or four goals every game. We wanted this because that is our mentality.

“After our equaliser we had two more chances to go 2-1 up. We had other chances to score, their keeper was fantastic and saved three or four chances.”

From a 19th-minute corner, Cavani’s glancing header found a way past Joe Hart at his near post. City levelled after 32 minutes when a Silva shot was parried by Napoli keeper Morgan De Sanctis but only to Balotelli, who tapped in. The winner came four minutes into the second half as Uruguayan Cavani side-footed home his second.

Napoli: De Sanctis, Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Aronica, Maggio, Inler, Gargano, Dossena, Lavezzi, Hamsik, Cavani. Subs: Rosati, Grava, Mascara, Santana, Dzemaili, Fernandez, Pandev.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, Silva, De Jong, Toure Yaya, Milner, Balotelli, Dzeko. Subs: Pantilimon, Johnson, Savic, Aguero, Barry, Nasri, Clichy.

Referee: D Skomina (Svn) Att: 53,000