Juve & City through to last 16

The excuse of being drawn against the best teams (which they have) is starting to serve like less as a reason for their elimination, and more a question as to why they aren’t one of those teams, or at least much closer to them, yet.

Antoine Griezmann scored a goal in each half as Atletico Madrid defeated Galatasaray 2-0 to advance to the knockout stage of the Champions League on Wednesday. That’s why in this moment I am not so unhappy in the way we played because we didn’t have many chances to make substitutions.

However, with Juventus travelling to Sevilla and City hosting Borussia Monchengladbach on Matchday Six, Pellegrini still thinks his side, who have already qualified for the last 16, have a chance of finishing as group winners. They will also be concerned to have lost Joe Hart to injury late on.

Two minutes later, the hosts took the lead as Mario Mandzukic shrugged off a weak challenge from Nicolas Otamendi to volley home Alex Santos’s left-wing cross.

The Argentina striker marked his return to action after a seven-game absence with a stunning goal in Saturday’s otherwise dispiriting 4-1 thrashing by Liverpool on Saturday.

Pellegrini said: “He has a hamstring problem”.

And, worryingly, goalkeeper Joe Hart sustained a hamstring injury that forced the England global to be replaced by Willy Caballero. We have two spare games to try to win the group.

However, that is exactly the prospect that faces them following Juve’s triumph, with the Italian side now on 11 points and City two behind on nine with one more game to play.

“We will see tomorrow”.

Defeat for United would mean PSV only need a draw to go through to the last 16, as they have the better head-to-head record, while Van Gaal’s men would drop down to the Europa League.

Juve hit the woodwork three minutes later when substitute Alvaro Morata went through and lifted the ball over the advancing Hart but the stretching Stefano Sturaro could only hit his effort off the far post from close range. I’m not satisfied. The game was never going to be easy in a tough stadium.

“I think it was a very good game for both teams”, City coach Manuel Pellegrini said.

“We were disappointed we didn’t win, but when you’re playing a team like Barcelona”.

Pellegrini added Kompany was likely to be out “two weeks more” with his calf injury while there was still no definitive update on Silva’s ankle problem.

All four of Griezmann’s goals in this year’s Champions League have come against the Turkish team.