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Thursday, 04 October 2012 08:55 |
MANCHESTER: Angry Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini admits his Champions League chokers have big problems but he vowed to sort out the mess, The Sun reported.
City dodged defeat thanks to a controversial last-gasp Mario Balotelli penalty and Joe Hart’s goalkeeping masterclass as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Borussia Dortmund at Etihad this morning.
Goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller taunted Balotelli before his spot-kick, but he slotted home then gestured to the German to keep his mouth shut.
Despite Hart’s heroics he has still not kept a single clean sheet this season. And the Premier League champions have managed just three wins from nine matches in all competitions this term.
Mancini insists he will find a solution before City’s campaign suffers any more damage.
“I know the problem and I will resolve it very quickly. It’s my problem and my job and I will solve this problem," said the Italian.
“I think Hart saved us. He saved everything so we should say ‘thank you’ to him. We deserved to concede three or four goals. We didn’t play well.
“Dortmund probably at this moment are a better team than us. If we want to play in the Champions League we have to play better than this. We have to run and fight. It’s not enough to just pass.”
Hart admitted Balotelli’s last-minute spot-kick — after Sergio Aguero’s shot hit Neven Subotic’s hand — was a major lifeline.
City were knocked out at the group stage last season after collecting one point from their opening two games.
But Hart insists they have given themselves a shot of getting to the knockout phase for the first time.
“I hope the effort we’ve made in both of those games isn’t wasted — but it shows what a tough group we’re in," said the England international.
“The group’s still alive for us. I’ve not made that many saves before for City I don’t think. Dortmund were a different class.”
- mD
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