Manchester City’s disappointing 2-1 defeat to Italian side Juventus to kick off their Champions League campaign last night highlights how much work the Premier League pacesetters have to do in Europe, says Yaya Toure.
Despite starting their league campaign with five straight wins and not conceding, Juventus burst City’s bubble with goals from Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata after Giorgio Chiellini put the ball in his own net for the visitors.
But at the end of the night Yaya Toure was left to bemoan City’s misfortune, meaning the English side have won just one of their five opening group games in the Champions League.
“It was a disappointing game,” he reflected.
“The Italian team played very well, defended very well and I think they’ve been lucky. I don’t think we played that bad.
“It can happen in football. We just have to be strong and try to bounce back in the Champions League.
“We just missed a lot today, we had a couple of chances and what we have to do is learn from Europe and try to do better next time.”
The game also brought mixed injury news for City, as though Sergio Aguero was fit enough to make a cameo off the bench, Vincent Kompany left the pitch with an injury in the second half.
Manuel Pellegrini came out after the game with an update on the Belgian stalwart’s fitness.
“We will see tomorrow. Vincent has a calf injury, we’ll see how it is but now we don’t know.”
Any injury to City’s captain would come as a massive blow to the Citizens at this early stage of the season, with the player crucial to City’s tight defence this season.
Kompany himself came out on Twitter after the game to reflect on the City result, and look forward to what the future holds.
We’ll be alright in the Champions League this year, I’m confident. Thanks for your support. Focus on West Ham now. #MCFC
— Vincent Kompany (@VincentKompany) September 16, 2015
While City’s captain remains confident of his side’s progression in the competition at this early stage, it will remain to be seen whether City’s improvements this year will lead them to challenge for glory in Europe as well as in the Premier League.
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