Manchester City vs Blackburn Rovers Match Preview
Having played in just one game for his new club, that against FC Timisoara in the first leg of their Europa League tie, Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli is now set to have knee surgery. The knee had been bothersome before but surgery was deemed possibly avoidable. A knock in the Timisoara match, however, appears to have caused a flare up of the problem and thus the decision to operate. Balotelli is likely to be sidelined six weeks.
Blackburn Rovers defender and Danish international Lars Jacobsen will join West Ham on a free transfer. Bulgarian striker Ivelin Popov, whom Rovers had expected to sign from Litex Lovech has been denied a work permit. Nevertheless, Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce is happy with his squad, claiming that they are 12 months ahead in their development schedule.
Manchester City vs Blackburn Rovers Match Report
With new signing Mario Balotelli undergoing knee surgery that leaves room for Roque Santa Cruz to have a seat on the Manchester City bench. He sits there with Gareth Barry. Shaun Wright-Phillips, however, gets a start for City. On-loan Mame Biram Diouf starts up front for Blackburn Rovers and he plays alongside namesake El-Hadji Diouf.
A bright and threatening start from Adam Johnson and early efforts from Tevez, Wright-Phillips and Kompany weren’t enough to put City in front before Blackburn Rovers took the lead in the 24th minute following a miscommunication between keeper Joe Hart and Kolo Toure. A lobbed effort just outside the City penalty box saw Toure apparently called off by Hart, thus leaving the ball for Rovers’ Nikola Kalinic who took advantage of an open goal. Manchester City 0-1 Blackburn Rovers.
City equalized in the 56th minute due to Patrick Vieira’s creativity and persistence. The big Frenchman took control of the ball in midfield, carried it forward and pushed it wide to Carlos Tevez. The Argentine made his way to the right edge of the box and then crossed the ball back into the middle where Vieira thereupon lurked. It was an easy tap in. City 1-1 Rovers.
Joe Hart made up for his earlier blunder when he stopped Kalinic in the 78th minute after the striker’s forward run took advantage of a rebound.
Adam Johnson sought—and deserved--a penalty in the 81st when Christopher Samba took him down in the penalty box. Referee Mark Clattenburg disagreed, however, rendering Johnson an angry fellow. Replay’s clearly showed that Johnson was right.
Former England keeper Paul Robinson kept his team in the match when he saved bravely at the feet of Kolo Toure in the 89th.
Still, City nearly took the three points late but were prevented by desperate yet wonderful defending from Blackburn. First Tevez, who had reached a lobbed pass from Silva before Robinson got there, was stopped by Gael Givet who threw himself in front of Tevez’s effort on the goal line. The ball found Jo, who had an open goal in front of him and must have been quite amazed to see his effort blocked by Samba who seemed to have emerged from nowhere.
Rovers’ boss Sam Allardyce was rightly proud that his team held big spending Manchester City to a draw, citing good organization, hard work and team spirit as key factors. Luck helped too, though.
