UEFA CUP QUARTER-FINALS: Hamburg 3 Manchester City 1: MANCHESTER CITY manager Mark Hughes saw his side make a stunning start in this quarter-final then suddenly implode at the Nordbank Arena last night.
Stephen Ireland’s opener after only 35 seconds only prompted an onslaught from Hamburg, who will take a two-goal cushion into the return leg at Eastlands next week.
City’s hopes of progress are hanging by a thread after another dismal away day despite a superb display by Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper Shay Given. However, he could do nothing about the equaliser in the ninth minute when Joris Mathijsen peeled away from his marker following a corner from Piotr Trochowski and although Given got a hand to the ball he could not prevent the defender scoring.
Hamburg kept up the pressure and took the lead in the 64th minute when Micah Richards was adjudged to have handled Mathijsen’s effort and Trochowski slotted his penalty kick coolly past Given. They made it 3-1 after 79 minutes when substitute Jose Guerrero scored at the back post after being left unmarked following a cross from Trochowski.
HAMBURG: Rost, Benjamin, Gravgaard, Mathijsen, Jansen, Pitroipa, Jarolim, Aogo, Trochowski, Petric, Olic (Guerrero 71). Subs not used: Hesl, Ndjeng, Rincon, Schmidt, Torun. Booked: Trochowski, Pitroipa.
MANCHESTER CITY: Given, Richards, Dunne, Onuoha, Bridge (Garrido 46), Wright-Phillips (Fernandes 83), Zabaleta, Ireland, Sturridge (Mwaruwari 62), Bellamy, Robinho. Subs not used: Hart, Elano, Petrov, Berti. Booked: Bellamy, Given.
Referee: Olegario Benquerenca (Por).
LAST NIGHT'S OTHER RESULTS: Paris St Germain 0 Dynamo Kiev 0; Shakhtar Donetsk 2 Marseille 0; Werder Bremen 3 Udinese 1.
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