Roma 2-2 Manchester City (City win 5-4 on penalties): Roma falter in penalty shootout

Date: 21st July 2015 at 5:17pm
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Manchester City won 5-4 on penalties against Roma after a 2-2 draw on Tuesday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia in the International Champions Cup.

Raheem Sterling and Miralem Pjanic scored in the first half and Kelechi Iheanacho had given City a second half lead but Adem Ljajic equalised with just three minutes left. Manchester City won the shoot-out after Seydou Doumbia and Seydou Keita failed to convert their penalties.

Sterling tripped over himself in the first minute while he was dribbling but he quickly atoned for it two minutes later.

Iheanacho turned and then played a through-ball for Sterling, who side-footed a shot past Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis.

Roma equalised just six minutes later. Francesco Totti received the ball in the penalty box and passed backwards to Gervinho. The Ivorian winger dribbled backwards and passed to Pjanic, who took a shot from about 25 metres and the ball flew into the top right corner.

Although the Giallorossi played deeper than their opponents, both Roma and Manchester City kept creating chances of their own.

De Sanctis made saves from David Silva and Iheanacho, while Vasilis Torosidis had a volley blocked by City central midfielder Bruno Zuculini.

Sterling had two shouts for penalties but the referee waved play on both occasions. There was nothing too malicious when he was halted by Juan Iturbe but Alessandro Florenzi blatantly tripped the English winger.

Florenzi tried his luck from distance but his shot flew over the bar. David Silva’s fabulous wing-play found Iheanacho, who headed the ball at De Sanctis and he dived quickly to deny the goal.

Roma had two chances near the end of the first half. Gervinho had a low cross intercepted by Vincent Kompany and Daniele De Rossi headed the ball over the bar.

Early in the second half, Radja Nainggolan dribbled and passed to Adem Ljajic, who hit the side-netting. Ashley Cole’s back-pass gifted Manchester City the lead after 51 minutes, when Iheanacho ran onto the high ball and struck the ball with a left-foot shot past De Sanctis.

Rony Lopes was providing some spark when he came on for the Citizens. He was denied a scoring opportunity from point-blank range by De Sanctis and he dribbled and passed to Jesus Navas, who blasted high. Bogdan Lobont replaced De Sanctis in the Roma goal and he was able to hold onto a Yaya Toure strike.

The game became a battle of the midfield, and after minutes of Roma possession, Ljajic equalised with a curling free-kick after 87 minutes. Yaya Toure nearly won it in open play but his shot went wide.

Former Lazio player Aleksander Kolarov blasted a penalty over the bar but Doumbia’s chipped penalty was saved by Joe Hart. City then went 5-4 up in the shoot-out and then Keita’s effort was saved by Hart.

 

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