In a match which only sporadically burst into life, Stefano Sturaro hit the post for Juventus and Raheem Sterling squandered another excellent chance for City 10 minutes from time.
Advertisement
The win sees Juventus qualify for the knockout stages for the second year in a row, and Barzagli believes it was the team’s aggressive attitude that got them over the line.
He said: “I think that we finished with the game – that very bad game that we played on Saturday – on Sunday morning”.
There was a comical moment shortly before kickoff when the stadium announcer said “this is the team for Manchester United” – City’s biggest rival – before swiftly correcting himself.
“I think the biggest thing we did was we stopped playing two up front away from home”, Scholes told ESPN FC, speaking from the BT green room, where he analysed this week’s Champions League.
“Gol sbagliato, gol subito” – when you miss a goal, you soon concede one – is a saying in Italy and that phrase was borne out as Juve took the lead two minutes later, Mandžukić volleying in a left-wing cross from Alex Sandro.
City again looked vulnerable in defence without Kompany and are still missing the craft of David Silva while Sergio Aguero is not fully match-fit.
It means City must win their final game and hope Sevilla can do them a favour otherwise they face the possibility of going up against the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the next round.
City were guilty of having spurned a number of good chances in Wednesday’s game and Toure also says the visitors could have clinched at least a point had they been more ruthless in front of goal. That is a hard game and the group is not finished.
But Juve continued to carry a greater threat and it needed a combination of Gael Clichy and Hart to force Dybala wide and to shoot into the side-netting.
The Citizens have now lost two games in succession after their 4-1 thrashing by Liverpool during the weekend, and will hope to turn their form around when Southampton visit the Etihad on Saturday.
Advertisement
“We have to see what Juventus will do against Sevilla”, said Pellegrini, who also complained that his defender Nicolas Otamendi was fouled by Mandzukic before the Croatian scored. “If you ask me I prefer to continue in the Champions League and try to win the Premier League”. Luck definitely played a part, here we played the best possible.
