That was a compelling game. In the main Manchester City were breathtaking, with furious pressing and untouchable one-touch passing ripping Steaua apart. On occasion they also managed to be pretty wasteful in front of goal and look susceptible on the counterattack, but I suppose that is a bit picky when a team has gone away from home in Europe and won 5-0. City will be in the Champions League, and on this evidence no one will want to face them. That’s all from me, thanks for reading. Bye!
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Full-time: Steaua Bucharest 0-5 Manchester City
Daniele Orsato blows his whistle and that’s that. Barring something quite ridiculous next Wednesday, Manchester City will be in the Champions League group stage.
90 mins: Has a player ever before scored a hat-trick having missed two penalties in the same game? One for The Knowledge to answer. Here’s another one:
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Goal! Steaua Bucharest 0-5 Manchester City (Agüero, 89)
City pass, and pass, and pass some more. Suddenly Sagna finds Fernandino who turns and slides in Sergio Agüero. The forward takes the ball into the box before burying a finish into the corner, and that is his hat-trick!
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87 mins: Steaua are offering absolutely nothing. Tamas fouls Nolito and takes a yellow card. Guardiola is up out of his seat dishing out instructions to Silva who promptly swings a high ball into the box for City to attack, but Steaua clear the danger.
85 mins: This is already City’s biggest ever away win in Europe, I believe. And they are on the hunt for more.
82 mins: Sterling lays the ball to the edge of the box for Nolito who sweeps it first time at goal, and it’s saved excellently by the fully stretched Nita. For someone who has let in four goals, the Romanian keeper has had a stormer.
81 mins: De Bruyne has been replaced by Fernando in City’s midfield.
80 mins: That was a wonderful goal, which Agüero celebrated sheepishly knowing he should have scored more tonight. Moments before he had been through on goal but failed to bring much of a save from Nita.
Goal! Steaua Bucharest 0-4 Manchester City (Agüero, 79)
Nolito and Agüero exchange a one-touch two-two before the latter crashes a shot past Nita into the far corner.
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76 mins: City are teasing Steaua now, the front five snapping passes across the penalty area before any defender can get near. This time Agüero tees up Silva, who takes a touch before arcing a shot wide of the top corner. City really should be five or six goals clear.
74 mins: Clichy replaces Aleksandar Kolarov at left-back-midfield-free-role.
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72 mins: Sagna’s first impact is to pick the ball up in central midfield and slide a pass to David Silva arriving in the box. The Spaniard takes a couple of touches around the onrushing goalkeeper but two defenders scurry back to jockey Silva away from goal.
70 mins: Guardiola continues to manically dictate from the touchline as City pass and probe without any of the intensity of the first half.
68 mins: The Arena Nationala created an intense and intimidating atmosphere in the opening 20 minutes, but it now sounds more like they are playing behind closed doors. Zabaleta is replaced by Bacary Sagna.
66 mins: The corner comes to nothing, and Steaua are going to make their final change: Ovidiu Popescu replaces Sulley Muniru, brother of Sulley Muntari, whose most notable contribution was conceding a penalty and final contribution is skying a volley way over Caballero’s crossbar.
64 mins: Steaua win a free-kick, Silva fouling Stanciu 30 yards from goal. The captain jumps up to take the set-piece himself but it only hits the wall. Corner.
62 mins: City break quickly. De Bruyne zips a low cross to Agüero arriving around the penalty spot, who flicks a first-time Cruyff-turn towards goal but it’s straight at Nita.
60 mins: A lull in City’s tempo has allowed Steaua to come forwards but they are struggling to unpick the visitors’ defence.
58 mins: Tudorie is booked for a lunge on Zabaleta which wasn’t nearly as bad as it first looked. City pass the ball around nonchalantly until Tosca comes flying in on Sterling, and he too is shown yellow.
56 mins: Guardiola has a few subs stretching on the sideline.
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54 mins: Agüero has a pop this time, after bringing down a wonderfully flighted long pass by De Bruyne, but his effort arrows wide. This is one of those games where Agüero might have scored five but his radar has been unusually askew in front of goal.
52 mins: This could get messy for Steaua now, who seem deflated. Nolito tries his luck from a tight angle but can only find the side netting. “I see Dinamo Zagreb - Salzburg is one of the other ties tonight,” emails Christopher Vaughan. “Who do you root for in that game? Energy Drink Franchise or Croatian Mafia?”
Goal! Steaua Bucharest 0-3 Manchester City (Nolito, 49)
Nolito cuts in off the left flank and plays the ball across the box for De Bruyne. The Belgian wiggles inside before jabbing a pass back to the Spaniard behind the Steaua defence, who takes a touch before sliding a simple finish home from six yards for his first Manchester City goal.
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47 mins: Steaua win an early corner and from the set-piece Stanciu works some space on the angle, firing into the side netting.
Kick-off
Back under way in Bucharest. Two changes by Steaua coach Laurentiu Reghecampf: midfielder Achim and forward Golubovic come off, replaced by Alexandru Bourceanu and Alexander Tudorie.
Raheem Sterling was rather good in the first half. Will he be a success this season? Guardiola has been singing his praises, but then he’s also been singing Joe Hart’s praises. Anyway, here’s Ben McAleer with his thoughts:
“Lawrence, it’s half time and I am doing anagrams,” emails John R Smith. “I came up with ‘A Butchers Saute’ in a jiffy but there must be more interesting ones for the wordsmiths out there.” I’ll get back to you.
A half-time assessment:
...the opposition's defensive organisation is as bad as you'll ever see, and those two penalty concessions were just laughable
— Michael Cox (@Zonal_Marking) August 16, 2016
Half-time! Steaua Bucharest 0-2 Manchester City
Daniele Orsato brings a pretty frantic half to an end. City should have scored more but a couple of missed penalties by Sergio Agüero have kept Steaua in a thoroughly absorbing contest.
45 mins: Steaua finish the half on the front foot with a free-kick deep in City territory. Stanciu tries a crafty pass to Popa in the box but he’s crowded out and City can clear.
43 mins: At the other end, Popa blasts a shot from the edge of the box and forces a strong hand from Caballero.
Goal! Steaua Bucharest 0-2 Manchester City (Agüero, 42)
Nolito cuts in from the left wing and bends a cross to Sterling on the edge of the box. He cushions a perfect touch for Agüero who sweeps the ball around Nita and into the far corner. Lovely football.
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40 mins: Sterling might have doubled City’s advantage, jabbing a loose ball in the Steaua box towards goal, but Tosca’s shin and Nita’s fingertips force it on to the bar and over.
39 mins: What a corner this is, brilliantly devised. Silva whips a waist-height outswinger and Kolarov meets it with his left, clobbering a volley towards the top corner and forcing Nita into a crucial tip over the crossbar.
38 mins: This game has been played at a furious pace and both sides are starting to slow down a little, causing a bit a lull in the action. Silva dinks a cross towards Agüero but Tosca leaps highest and heads behind. Corner.
36 mins: John Stones gives the ball away with a stray pass into midfield but Steaua fail to take advantage. The home crowd is growing restless.
@LawrenceOstlere How many penalties could Aguero miss before Pep/City changed? Two? Three? Another number? Perhaps The Knowledge could help?
— Paul (@thottythray) August 16, 2016
34 mins: The free-kick is delivered too deep and City clear the danger.
33 mins: Zabaleta looks a heck of a lot more competent as one of Guardiola’s ‘inside-full-back-midfielders’ than Sagna on the weekend, it must be said. Fernandinho also looks very comfortable as the pivote, though he chops down Stanciu to hand Steaua an opportunity with a long range free-kick...
31 mins: City are back on the ball and on the attack as Pep gesticulates furiously on the sideline. That is a sentence I can wheel out time and time again tonight/this season. “I had different plans for this evening than watching TV and shouting ‘Well done, Sterling! Aguero you clown’,” emails Colin Livingstone. “Football eh.”
29 mins: Steaua counterattack, Popa driving down the right and feeding Stanciu on the edge of the box. He lays it off to Hamroun overlapping and unmarked, but Caballero comes out and makes a crucial block. City were exposed there.
27 mins: City could be three up by now but there’s little to suggest they are in any danger of rueing those missed chances. Steaua cannot cope with the intensity of City’s pressing, and the huge spaces in the middle of pitch are being exploited constantly by Silva in particular. Nolito is the latest to try a weaving dribble down the side of the box but he can’t produce anything meaningful at the end of it.
25 mins: Silva loops a high ball for Agüero to chase, and the Argentina forward brings it out of the sky with a stunning piece of control before squaring the ball to nobody. A replay of Guardiola watching the second missed penalty shows him lean back in his seat and throw his legs in the air in a huff.
23 mins: The penalty, by the way, was conceded by Enache who went sliding in when there was really no need. The same could be said for the first penalty but on both occasions Agüero let Steaua off the hook.
Agüero skies the penalty!
Sergio Agüero takes a longer run-up this time, stuttering forwards before blasting the ball off the top of the bar and into the crowd! Oh my.
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Penalty to Man City!
19 mins: A comically bad sliding tackle on Kolarov in the box, and Agüero will get another chance...
18 mins: Sterling looks quadruple the player he was during Euro 2016, picking up the ball in deep positions and weaving around two or three red and blue shirts at once. It is a big pitch and the winger is enjoying himself.
17 mins: Guardiola might not be so impressed with Caballero, however, who is providing a masterclass is slashing the ball off the pitch. On the bench, Joe Hart glowers.
15 mins: Pep Guardiola celebrated that goal with clenched fists and wild eyes. It was wonderfully setup by Sterling and well finished too, and the manager is very happy with what he’s seen.
Goal! Steaua Bucharest 0-1 Manchester City (Silva, 13)
Sterling presses high up the pitch and pinches the ball from a dallying Tosca. He drives into the box, chops back on to his left foot and slides the ball across the area for David Silva to collect. The Spaniard takes a touch before driving a shot low under Nita, and City’s early pressure has finally paid off.
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10 mins: What a start. That penalty save has given this already raucous crowd another lift. Even so, City are dominating the early stages and Steaua haven’t been allowed to settle. The ball breaks for Sterling on the edge of the box who fires high over the bar.
Nita saves Agüero's penalty!
Sergio Agüero steps forward and drills an effort to the bottom-left corner, but Florin Nita gets across and makes a brilliant stop!
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Penalty to Man City!
7 mins: A half-chance wasted by De Bruyne, who could have slipped Silva in on goal on the left of the box but instead took a shot. He does win a corner however, which is played short for Sterling, who is chopped to the ground by Sulley Muniru... penalty!
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6 mins: Nolito scuffs a shot from the edge of the box and it’s easily gathered by Nita. “If PtR’s formations are as confusing for opponents as his pre-match words are for readers,” emails Patrick Sullivan, “Man City’s in for a big season.”
4 mins: It might be a factor of the brilliantly intimidating noise coming from this packed stadium, but City have started a little sloppily. Zabaleta commits a foul in midfield and is greeted with whistles and boos.
2 mins: There is a terrific mural depicted in the stands and the atmosphere is feisty. City settle on the ball when Stanciu snaps into Fernandinho in the centre circle and pinches it from him. He strides forwards and fires at goal from long range, but the effort flies wide.
Kick-off!
Daniele Orsato of Italy give his whistle a peep, and Sergio Agüero gets things under way.
A reminder of the teams:
Steaua Bucharest: Nita; Enache, Tosca, Tamas, Momcilovic; Muniru, Achim; Popa, Stanciu, Hamroun; Golubovic
Subs: Cojocaru, Mitrea, Tudorie, Aganovic, O Popescu, D Popescu, Bourceanu
Manchester City: Caballero; Zabaleta, Stones, Otamendi, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Sterling, Nolito; Agüero
Subs: Hart, Sagna, Fernando, Navas, Delph, Clichy, Iheanacho
The players are out, the music is playing (no one is singing). Game on.
In more news of players Pep doesn’t want near his team, City have signed defender Pablo Mari today and are hoping to loan him out immediately:
Pep speaks!
It’s good news to be here. It depends on our performance [whether we] play in the Champions League. We cannot play the season with the same 11 players, all of them deserve to play, and of course I need to see all the players. We would like to play well, to follow the level we showed against Sunderland. Every game can help us to get better and improve. Now it’s a final for us, and next Wednesday with our people.
Here’s one taken earlier. A lovely venue to play a game of football:
“Obviously such wild speculation is beneath the Guardian’s standard for journalism,” emails Matt Richman (you obviously haven’t perused this morning’s Rumour Mill), “but reports suggest that Pep has an interest in Claudio Bravo. With Hart yet to play a single competitive minute under his new manager, could this snub possibly rival what the media and certain FIFA officials have made of Mou’s treatment of Schweinsteiger?” Pep hasn’t sent Joe Hart to train with the kids yet, but give it time.
For some recommended pre-match reading, here is Daniel Taylor with more on Yaya Touré’s omission from Guardiola’s Champions League squad:
“I can’t but wonder,” wonders Patrick Sullivan on email, “if Pep the Radical (PtR) is making seismic changes because he really sees deficiencies in stalwarts readily overcome by newbies. Rather, could this be a temporary change to let the team know PtR is in charge? Either way, could long-term morale of crying millionaires be the price?” I too have wondered this Patrick. I’m not so sure it is Pep’s style but it is a favourite ploy of Mourinho’s, turning up at a new club to let the players know who’s boss by immediately humiliating someone (usually Juan Mata). Guardiola did turf out Eto’o, Deco and Ronaldinho in his early Barça days and things turned out pretty well – maybe he is repeating the trick.
Pre-match intimidation from Steaua, via the world’s least intimidating photo:
Hey @ManCity! Here is the most recent team photo. In the game against @ACSparta_EN! We smashed them! You next! 👊 pic.twitter.com/oatVQ51AHt
— Steaua București (@FCSteaua) August 5, 2016
Joe Hart is consigned to the bench once more with Willy Caballero keeping his spot in goal. Guardiola has opted for two changes at full-back, perhaps having observed Clichy and Sagna’s display of spectacular misplaced passes against Sunderland. Aleksandar Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta both come into the side, as does Nicolás Otamendi. He lines up alongside John Stones in central defence, a pairing with the potential to be classy and calamitous all at once.
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The teams!
Steaua Bucharest: Nita; Enache, Tosca, Tamas, Momcilovic; Muniru, Achim; Popa, Stanciu, Hamroun; Golubovic
Subs: Cojocaru, Mitrea, Tudorie, Aganovic, O Popescu, D Popescu, Bourceanu
Manchester City: Caballero; Zabaleta, Stones, Otamendi, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Sterling, Nolito; Agüero
Subs: Hart, Sagna, Fernando, Navas, Delph, Clichy, Iheanacho
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Preamble
Pep Guardiola’s story so far at Manchester City is one best read between the lines. Having described both Joe Hart and Yaya Touré as “amazing”, Guardiola left City’s No1 on the bench for the opening game of the season, and has left the Ivorian at home for tonight’s crucial Champions League play-off first leg against Steaua Bucharest. Two games in, and another ominous signal for one of City’s former stalwarts; Guardiola may stick to the boardroom script in front of media but he has quickly shown that things will be done his way on the pitch.
Also hidden between the lines are Guardiola’s full-backs, at least when City have the ball: somewhere higher than the defensive midfielder, lower than the attacking midfielders and inside their wingers, the strategy was deployed by Pep in Munich to dominate the midfield. Philipp Lahm and David Alaba took to it comfortably but the problem, certainly against Sunderland on Saturday, was that Gaël Clichy and Bacary Sagna took to the centre of the pitch with the wide-eyed bewilderment of this chap:
It’s these teething problems that Steaua will hope to exploit. Their former midfielder Laurentiu Reghecampf managed the side to second in the Romanian top flight last season, and his side have began the new domestic campaign with three straight wins. Manchester City will be a far sterner test of course but, crucially, the club have kept hold of their scorer of 39 goals last season, Nicolae Stanciu, despite links over the past month with a move to several European clubs including Chelsea. The 23-year-old will be crucial to pulling off any upset here. Steaua have little to lose against Guardiola’s latest creation; City dare not slip up.
Kick-off: 7.45pm BST
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