Champions League Man City 1-2 CSKA Moscow Doumbia 2, 32 Toure 7, Fernandinho s/o 70, Toure s/o 82 Manchester City's nightmare Champions League campaign continues with a 2-1 home defeat to CSKA Moscow and to compound their misery the Citizens ended the game with nine men after a woeful display.
Manchester City went into this game winless from their previous group games, yet boss Manuel Pellegrini still believed his team could still amass eleven points to qualify for the knockout stages, and then go on to win the Champions League.
On this display that view is overly optimistic as their Group E campaign continues to disappoint.
In order to help their cause City introduced a 2 for 1 ticket deal to encourage a bumper home crowd in the absence of any away support, with CSKA having been banned from selling tickets as punishment for the racist behaviour of their fans.
With only two points before tonight's game, and leaders Bayern Munich cruising into the next stage, City could ill afford any slip ups in the battle for second spot. And whilst Moscow were the definite underdogs in this clash the fact that that the hosts have not kept a clean sheet in any of their eight Champions League home games since the start of 2012-13 give the visitor's some hope.
So perhaps it was the post match firework display which left a pall of smoke over the ground that allowed Moscow to take an early lead. Certainly the City defenders allowed Seydou Doumbia to appear unmarked out of the gloom to head home unmarked after just two minutes.
But the home side restored parity within five minutes as Yaya Toure curled home a free kick from twenty yards.
Yet with both teams looking vulnerable in defence chances came at both ends. Doumbia almost restored the visitor's lead when put clean through but dragged his shot wide, and twice Sergio Aguero brought out the best from Russian keeper Igor Akinfeev.
The City faithful tried to lift the flat atmosphere but their team was too lacklustre to instil any confidence and so it was on 32 minutes that Moscow regained the lead after Gael Clichy gave away the ball and Doumbia strode clear to beat Joe Hart.
But in the end City failed to carry the confidence gained from a weekend success over local rivals Manchester United and the boos which greeted the team at full time and half-time told their own sad tale.
The home side began the second period with renewed purpose but Moscow had tightened up at the back and many of City's attacks foundered too easily. And on 70 minutes the night got worse for the Citizens as substitute Fernandinho was shown red for obstruction off the ball after receiving two yellow cards in eight minutes.
Edin Dzeko combined with Agureo but the former lost out in a race for the ball with the CSKA keeper keeper and a Toure free kick was comfortably saved. But the game ended as a contest as Toure was shown red for wrestling Roman Eremenko to the ground with nine minutes remaining.
Ironically the crowd came to life with the dismissals but for all their efforts Moscow held out comfortably to become the first Russian outfit to win a Champions League game away against English opposition since Spartak Moscow's success over Blackburn Rovers in September 1995.
Then in the final minute City's miserable night was complete as Agureo was booked when it looked as if he had earned a penalty.
Much will be made of the two dismissals and the chorus of boos at the end was more directed at the officials than the team, but overall this was a weary display by City who are now bottom of Group E and will not be looking forward to the visit of leaders Bayern Munich in a couple of weeks time.
