Wednesday, December 06, 2017

City were already booked to the round of 16. Shakhar were not. City have a match Sunday against Manchester United. Shakhar have a match Sunday against Donetsk United or something. So.

From The Guardian:

Manchester City’s winning run ends as makeshift side fall to Shakhtar


[See, "makeshift"! We had to make do with shift.]

...Guardiola has chucked a couple of rookies into his starting lineup. Tosin Adarabioyo is a 20-year-old centreback who has been at City since the age of five; and Phil Foden is one of the 17-year-olds who scaled to the top of the world with England recently...The element of surprise is strong with this one ...

[17 YEARS OLD! Shakhtar is guilty of CHILD ABUSE!]

“I want to win the game. We have prepared seriously for that, with respect for the opponents and everybody.” [Pep]

[Oh, puh-LEEZE]

“Any idea why Pep has burdened several of his first XI with the long trip, even if they are probably going to remain on the bench ?” parps hristopher Jollife. “It seems a missed opportunity to rest about eight players but only De Bruyne (suspension) and Magic Dave (phantom injury certain to heal by Sunday) are given a complete rest.” He’s targeting invincibility, I fancy: he couldn’t bring himself to just throw this game.

It sounds like a splendid atmosphere in Kharkiv, where many Shakhtar fans are wearing Zoro masks after their manager declared that he would run around the town dressed as Zoro if Shakhtar
qualified.


7 min: A nimble move takes Shakhtar sweeping forward and into the box, where their speed sparks panic among City’s defence.

[Zoro is fast]

15 min: City are starting to dominate. But they still haven’t created a real chance...

20 min: Taison, whose hamstring seems to have healed, bursts through midfield, leaving Toure lumbering in his week.

[HAPPY BIRTHDAY YAYA!]

GOAL! Shakhtar 1-0 City (Bernard 26)

28 min: Taison romps through midfield again, leading a swift counter-attack. he fizzes the ball wide to Bernard, who rips into the left-hand side of the box again. Can he make it 2-0? He lashes a low shot .... straight at Ederson, who reacts smartly to keep it out.

[They "romp"; we "lumber."]

30 min: Shakhtar are going for the kill here and their fans are loving it! City, on the other hand, are reeling. They’re finding it difficult to cope with the home side’s speed and slickness, especially on the counter. Good game!
















GOAL! Shakhtar 2-0 City (Ismaily 32)










39 min: Toure looked a tad sluggish earlier in the game but he’s up to speed now and starting to exert an encouraging influence for City.

43 min: Shakhtar one-two their way through City again before Taison dashes past Toure and curls a shot inches over from the edge of the box. There aren’t many teams who make this City side look clunky, but that’s what Shakhtar are doing: they’re tremendously slick.

[Yaya went from "a tad sluggish" to "up to speed" to being "dashed past" in four minutes. Slow down, Yaya.]

Half-time: Shakhtar 2-0 City

Thanks to two fine goals and a sizzling performance, Shakthar are on the verge of reaching the knockout stages and ruining this City’s invincible run. What’s Pep going to do about it? He has a strong bench - and he has the Manchester derby on Sunday.

46 min: No substitutions during the break. Let’s see if Guardiola has at least managed to stimulate an increase in his players’ intensity.

54 min: Taison runs at the City defence again. They’re properly frightened of him. But he shoots over from 20 yards.

[Taison "runs,' Yaya "lumbers."]

59 min: City are getting well on top now. Shakhtar remains dangerous on the counter...

60 min: There’s one of those counters! When they break at speed, City can’t keep up with them. Poor old Toure is being bypassed in midfield. 
















City substitution: Diaz on, Sane off. Guess that’s more about Sunday than today.

65 min: Azevedo blazes down the left...

68 min: Shakhtar are coming on strong again and look the more likely scorers. So Guardiola has told Aguero to warm up...

74 min: Taison shimmies past Danilo...

77 min:...another fast counter-attack by Shakhtar.

90 min: Most of the crowd now appears to be wearing Zoro masks.


















Penalty to City

[CHEATERS! ANYBODY can win if they CHEAT! We play an infirm, aged Ivorian with an oxygen mask to make the game competitive and STILL THEY CHEAT!]

Butko brings down Jesus, whose feet were too nimble for him.

[SEE! NIMBLE. The Arch Angel is "NIMBLE," you couldn't handle him could you? You had to "dash" and "blaze" by "Poor OLD" "clunky," "sluggish," "lumbering" Yaya. Happy birthday, Yaya. Cheaters. Pep if you ever play that mother-fucker in a meaningful I will be mad at you Very mad.

GOAL! Shakhtar 2-1 City (Aguero pen 90+2)

Perfectly executed by Aguero...

Full-time: Shakhar 2-1 City

City lose for the first time this season - and it was a deserved defeat, as Shakhtar were superb: they’ll be tough opponents for someone in the last 16; and City will be very different next time we see them, back to full strength.