Aguero Cetak Gol Tunggal untuk Manchester City
Aguero Scores Only Goal for Manchester City as Smalling is Sent Off
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
Manchester (B2B) - Gol semata wayang Sergio Aguero untuk Manchester City pada menit 63 sudah cukup untuk mengalahkan Manchester United dalam derbi Manchester di Etihad Stadium, Minggu malam.
Pada menit 31 Chris Smalling diganjar kartu kuning. Berawal dari tendangan bebas di kotak penalti City di mana bola menyentuh paha Fernando dan memantul ke tangan joe Hart. Kiper City itu mencoba melepaskan bola, tetapi diblok oleh Smalling. Kartu kuning tak terhindarkan oleh pemain Inggris itu.
Delapan menit kemudian Smalling mendapat kartu kuning kedua karena melanggar Milner. Wasit Michael Oliver yang melihat kejadian itu mengusir Smalling keluar lapangan.
Menjelang turun minum City meminta wasit penalti. Awalnya Stevan Jovetic memberikan umpan ke kaki Yaya Toure. Toure yang hendak menendang di kotak penalti dijatuhi Rojo, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
City mendapat kesempatan menit 51. Toure mengumpani Navas yang kemudian mengirimkan umpan silang di kotak penalti, tetapi dibersihkan Rojo. Bola itu kemudian jatuh ke kaki Pablo Zabaleta, tetapi tendangannya melebar.
Delapan menit kemudian City meminta penalti karena Aguero yang tengah menggiring bola di kotak penalti dilanggar Michael Carrick, tetapi wasit tak memberikannya.
Namun City tetap gencar menyerang. Aguero membuat suporter tuan rumah bergemuruh pada menit 63.
Berawal dari bola panjang yang dikirimkan Toure ke Clichy, pemain Perancis itu mengirimkan umpan ke Aguero yang berada di depan gawang. Bola tendangan Aguero itu tak bisa dihentikan De Gea.
United tak mau kalah, pada menit 78 Rooney menggiring bola dari tengah, melewati pemain belakang City.
Rooney sempat melepaskan bola tetapi diblok pemain City. Bola yang lepas kemudian diambil Valencia yang mengumpani Angel Di Maria yang tak terkawal. Namun, tendangan Di Maria melebar.
Satu menit kemudian Marouane Fellaini hampir menyamakan kedudukan City lewat sundulannya, tetapi bola terlalu tinggi.
Lima menit tambahan waktu tak cukup untuk United menyamakan keunggulan City.
Menurut stastik goal.com City menguasai 52 persen pertandingan, sementara MU 48 persen.
Manchester - Champions Manchester City continued their recent derby dominance with a 1-0 Premier League win over 10-man Manchester United on Sunday.
Aided by Chris Smalling's sending off during a goalless opening period at the Etihad Stadium, Manuel Pellegrini's men took control after the interval as Sergio Aguero grabbed the decisive goal, his 10th in the league this season.
The Argentina striker's effort ;condemned United to a fourth successive league loss to their rivals for the first time since 1970 and ensured Louis van Gaal was defeated in his maiden all-Manchester clash.
Anticipation was high as City attempted to end a three-game winless run in all competitions and their hopes were raised towards the end of a breathless first half, with Smalling given his marching orders after picking up two stupid yellow cards.
That, combined with centre-back partner Marcos Rojo being withdrawn through injury in the 56th minute, proved crucial ;as the hosts took the points.
City, already without star man David Silva, were dealt another blow when Aleksandar Kolarov limped off in the warm-up, with Gael Clichy coming into the XI.
United had full-back issues of their own after Rafael da Silva picked up a knock in training to leave Antonio Valencia in an unfamiliar role.
Valencia was immediately tested, too, beaten by Aguero - who subsequently forced a first save from David de Gea.
But United responded quickly, Adnan Januzaj volleying just wide after being teed up by Robin van Persie's cushioned header.
The visitors continued to look threatening, with the likes of Angel di Maria and Wayne Rooney - back from suspension - buzzing around in dangerous areas.
Yet the game then took on an end-to-end nature, with De Gea making world-class saves to deny Jesus Navas and Aguero in quick succession.
A decisive moment came in the 38th minute, however, when Smalling - who had already picked up a cheap ;yellow card for impeding Joe Hart as the City goalkeeper attempted to punt downfield - flew into an ill-judged challenge on James Milner.
The first-half drama did not stop there, with City twice seeing loud penalty appeals turned down following challenges from Marouane Fellaini and Rojo.
City were unsurprisingly positive at the start of the second period, epitomised by Pablo Zabaleta finding himself in the United box to volley over.
Van Gaal's woes were added to as injury forced Rojo off, leaving United to field a makeshift back four featuring Valencia, Michael Carrick and youngster Paddy McNair.
And soon after being denied another penalty, Aguero gave City a 63rd-minute lead by coolly side-footing home Clichy's pull-back after Yaya Toure had freed the left-back.
