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Copenhagen (AFP) – Algerian international Riyad Mahrez missed a penalty kick for Manchester City, who played for an hour with ten players, and missed his top scorer, Erling Haaland, to settle for a goalless draw with Danish host Copenhagen in the fourth round of Group G of the European Football Champions League.
City was an extraordinary candidate to qualify for the 16th round after they swept Copenhagen in Manchester with five clean goals last week, including a double by Haaland, who Spanish coach Pep Guardiola decided to rest before the summit against Liverpool in the league on Sunday.
City completed the match with ten men since the 30th minute after Spanish full back Sergio Gomes was sent off with a direct red card.
The City series stopped at six victories in a row in all competitions, including three in the continental competition, but it remained in the lead with 10 points in front of Borussia Dortmund, the second German (6), which later hosts Seville, Spain (point), compared to two points for Copenhagen.
Halland offers amazing levels this season, scoring 20 goals in 13 games in all competitions with his club, including 15 in 9 league matches.
Guardiola’s team thought that he had advanced in the result when the Spaniard Rorigo scored a wonderful goal with a right-footed shot from outside the area in the top right corner, but the referee canceled it with a controversial decision after returning to the video assistant referee “VAR” for a hand touch on Mahrez in building the attack (13) .
The first opportunity for the owners of the land came with a powerful shot from Lucas Lirager from the outskirts of the area, which was removed by the Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson to a corner (19).
City’s suffering continued after Polish goalkeeper Kamil Grabara saved a penalty kick for which Mahrez got the Premier League champion due to a handball on Nikolai Poelsen after returning to “VAR” (25).
The referee used the technique a third time in the first half to expel Gomez with a direct red for obstructing Icelandic Hakon Arnar Haraldson on the outskirts of the region, depriving him of the opportunity to score an investigator (30).
Guardiola quickly withdrew Mahrez and pushed Portuguese defender Ruben Diach.
The rest of the first half and most of the second did not witness little opportunities for both teams, as the only shot was on the goal before reaching the last six minutes from the Belgian Kevin De Bruyne with the start of the second half on the left from outside the spiral area to the bottom of the right corner, which was removed by the goalkeeper (51).
Guardiola pushed Phil Foden, who scored five goals in his last three matches, and Portuguese playmaker Bernardo Silva, while Halland kept the bench.
Later, Portuguese Joao Cancelo hit a powerful ball from outside the area, which was saved by Grabara (84), before German Ilkay Gundogan tried in overtime (90 + 2).
Copenhagen kept a clean sheet for the fifth consecutive game at home in the group stage of the Champions League and its distinguished record at home in this round in the continental competition in the last 14 matches (1 loss, 6 wins and 7 draws).
© 2022 AFP