MAN CITY 3 – 0 FC Salzburg – PLAYER RATINGS
2 Dec
Given - Made a rare appearance in place of the rested Joe Hart, but wasn’t called into action a great deal. Made one impressive, full-length save but generally was a by-stander - 6.5
Boateng – Returned to the side after injury and slotted in comfortably to the right-back role. Got forward fairly often and produced a couple of pieces of skill. Could do with working on crossing with his right foot, as he always seem to cut back onto his left - 7
K. Touré – A very light stroll in the park for the captain of the night. Made one crucial interception during a rare Salzburg attack, but looked totally at ease. Made a number of forward forays too - 7
Lescott - Didn’t look as jittery as he has done in recent performances. Wasn’t put under any sort of threat and handled the game comfortably - 6
Zabaleta - The versatile Argentinean was shifted to left-back but produced a solid enough showing. Delightful cross for Balotelli’s first goal and got forward well - 7
SWP - Possibly the one who grasped his chance the best. Really impressed me with his drive and desire. Showed a good turn of pace and whipped over a couple of delicious crosses. SWP is usually someone who needs regular playing time to impress but he did well yesterday - 8
Milner - Without doubt, his strongest performance since his debut against Liverpool. Finally got to play in his favoured, central midfield position and ran the game. Great workrate and always kept the ball moving - 8.5
Vieira - Another leisurely stroll for Paddy V. Played the game at his tempo and worked hard to get up and down the pitch. Put through one delightful pass for Balotelli - 7
A. Johnson - Didn’t have a great impact in the first half but grew into the game. Scored a stunning goal after a mazy run, and was a constant threat to Salzburg in the second half - 7.5
Jo- Not his best performance, but has a good attitude and works hard. Embarrassing when he went down clutching his face when he was hit in the chest, and tried to con the referee to win a penalty when he should have been focused on scoring. Gets into great position but is often ignored by teammates - 6
Balotelli - It’s hard what to make of Balotelli. If he was on the opposition side, I’d love him to fail, which makes it all the sweeter for us when he scores. His first strike especially was impressive, although the lack of celebration that was followed was disappointing. Worked hard for the team, but must brush up on his first touch - 8
Subs
Adebayor - Replaced the injured Balotelli with about twenty minutes to go and missed one decent opportunity, blazing over from inside the area - 6
Richards - Came on in place of Touré in the final few minutes but had no time to make a great impact - No time to mark
Steven, as always I have to disagree with a couple of things…
1.) Boateng – I would have given him a higher mark. More often than not he sent in some dangerous crosses into the box but the quality of them was not proven because nobody would get on the end of them. One thing you do not mention too much either is his really long throw. One opportunity Balotelli flicked on the header, but once again, where was Jo?
2.) Milner – man of the match by a country mile. His best game for City I think. He was here there and everywhere. Dad thinks he plays better when Barry doesnt play. Your thoughts?
3.) Zabaleta – I would have given him a better mark again! Some outstandingly timed challenges! Very impressive, I hope he continues his rich vein of form
Other than those pointsl, nice read
I thought Balotelli’s first touch was great, one touch into the back of the net. He reminds me of Berbatov they seem so natural and fluid that it looks like they are making no effort, so I never see him being a fan favourite unless he scores 3 goals every match then who cares what else he does.