Ten-man In a match where VAR predominated, Manchester City missed a penalty and had a goal disallowed while Copenhagen forced them to wait to advance to the last 16 of the Champions League.
FC_Copenhagen – #Manchester_City Played on 10/11/ 2022
Two disputed rulings in a dramatic start set the tone for the evening.
In contrast, the visitors benefited from being granted a penalty when the ball struck home
defender Nicolai Boilesen on the arm as he competed for a corner with Manuel Akanji.
Rodri’s excellent 25-yard shot for City ruled out after Riyad Mahrez penalized for handling.
To the joy of a boisterous Parken Stadium crowd, however, Copenhagen goalkeeper Kamil
Grabara spectacularly stopped Mahrez’s penalty effort. Five minutes later, though, Sergio
Gomez of Pep Guardiola’s team dismissed for a professional foul on 19-year-old forward
Hakon Haraldsson.
The English champions have reorganized and play the final hour with one fewer
player after the Portuguese referee Artur Dias has referred to the pitch-side monitor.
If Sevilla loses against Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday’s other Group G match, City will still be
able to go to the knockout round of the competition.
A corner from Hakon Arnar Haraldsson that Kevin De Bruyne headed away early in the game
served as a sign of Copenhagen’s resolute attitude throughout. Another member of the
Danish attacking trident, Mohamed Daramy, let slalom down his left side before Ilkay
Gündogan once again used his head to block the No. 15’s chip.
In the interim, Kamil Grabara, a former Liverpool player, deflected Julián Alvarez’s angled
shot from the left behind, but gave no corner. This enthralled the Parken Stadium
crowd just as much as what happened after Rodri blasted a spectacular volley beyond
Grabara.
Because of a handball by Mahrez prior to Alvarez’s lay-off, Artur Dias, the referee, was for
the first time summoned to the pitchside monitor by the VAR, and he reversed the strike.
The latter was selected because Guardiola rested the season’s best player (so far), possibly
with the trip to Anfield in mind.
Lukas Lerager further indicated Jacob Neestrup’s players were in a combative mood despite
being destroyed by the same opponent 5-0 the previous week; the midfielder’s 20-yard
attempt required a timely Ederson hand to deflect it out. Every City defender was caught
ball-watching when Haraldsson flighted in the next corner, and the Brazilian once more had
to save his club.
