LONDON: Manchester City’s dismal exit from European competition is not an embarrassment and could boost the big-spending club’s defense of the Premier League title, according to manager Roberto Mancini.
City’s haul of just three points from six games was the worst performance by an English club in the Champions League group stage with Mancini’s men finishing bottom of Group D and failing to qualify for the Europa League as well.
Newspaper headlines on Wednesday spoke of City as “The Worst Ever” and dubbed them “320 million pound ($515.41 million)flops.”
Mancini saw a silver lining in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, however.
“Clearly this can help us win the Premier League because we don’t play in the Europa League,” he told reporters. “But getting into it was our target. We wanted to win.”
City are currently second in the Premier League, three points behind Manchester United and seven clear of third-placed Chelsea, the European champions who are in danger of going out of the Champions League on Wednesday.
United, who travel to City for a league derby at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, have already secured first place in Champions League Group H.
Had City qualified for Europe’s second tier competition, which awaits the third-placed clubs after the Champions League group stages, they could have faced up to nine further European matches on top of domestic fixtures.
“I’m not embarrassed about where we have finished or the points tally,” said Mancini of City’s failed European campaign and second successive exit at the group stage.
“There could be embarrassment if we had not played with 100 percent effort. You can still play 100 percent and lose, and that is what happened.”
Mancini recognized that City needed to regain their sharpness in front of goal after scoring just seven times in six group games.
“At the moment we are not scoring goals, certainly not like we were last season. We are creating chances but we are not scoring,” he said.
“That is a big problem that we need to work at.”
Man City’s European exit a title boost, says Mancini
Man City’s European exit a title boost, says Mancini
Ton-up Farhan helps Pakistan seal Super Eight spot with Namibia rout
- It was Farhan’s maiden T20 ton and he became only the second Pakistani to score a T20 World Cup century after Ahmed Shehzad in 2014 against Bangladesh
COLOMBO: Sahibzada Farhan hit a magnificent unbeaten century to help Pakistan seal the final Super Eight berth at the T20 World Cup with a thumping 102-run win over Namibia in Colombo on Wednesday.
Farhan scored 100 not out off 58 balls with four sixes and 10 fours as Pakistan posted 199-3 before they routed Namibia for 97 in 17.3 overs.
Pakistan’s victory took them to six points from four games in Group A and eliminated the United States, who finished with four points.
India also have six points and play the Netherlands in the group’s final game later Wednesday.
The defending champions India, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the West Indies will play each other in the Super eights Group 1, hosted in India.
Pakistan join New Zealand, England and co-hosts Sri Lanka in Group 2, hosted in Sri Lanka.
After a morale-shattering 61-run defeat against India, Pakistan needed a victory to avoid an early exit, which was achieved with ease as spinners Usman Tariq (4-16) and Shadab Khan (3-19) tore through the Namibia batting.
Louren Steenkamp scored 23 while Alexander Busing-Volschenk was the only other batsman to reach double figures with 20.
‘Complete performance’
Skipper Salman Agha praised a clinical show.
“It is a complete performance,” said a relieved Agha.
“We batted well and Farhan anchored the innings. He has been batting well for a while and I am happy that he got his hundred.
“With the ball we were lethal.”
Namibian skipper Gerhard Erasmus admitted Pakistan’s spin bowlers were too hot to handle.
“It (spin) is a special skill to have, to turn the ball both ways like they do,” said Erasmus.
“I think that’s one of the things we’ll definitely take home and look to improve on.”
Farhan earlier blasted a six and a four off pace bowler Jack Brassell to enter the 90s before taking a single off Gerhard Erasmus to complete his hundred in the final over.
It was Farhan’s maiden T20 ton and he became only the second Pakistani to score a T20 World Cup century after Ahmed Shehzad in 2014 against Bangladesh.
Shadab Khan, promoted to No. 5 with Babar Azam left out, hit three sixes and a four in his 36 not out off 22 balls as Pakistan smashed 42 from the last three overs.
Farhan put on 40 for the opening wicket with Saim Ayub (14) before consolidating the innings during a 67-run second wicket stand with captain Salman Agha (38).
Pakistan also left out pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi after a poor show in the first three matches, including conceding 31 in two overs in the defeat against India on Sunday.
Farhan’s ton means this is the first T20 World Cup in which three centuries have been scored.
He followed Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka, who scored a hundred against Australia on Monday, and Canada’s Yuvraj Sama who reached three figures against New Zealand on Tuesday.
