SOCCER: FC Timisoara 0 Manchester City 1:IT NEEDED only 15 minutes for Mario Balotelli to make his impact. Manchester City had been labouring until the new signing was brought off the bench and immediately ensured this would be an evening bearing his imprint.
His 33 minutes on the pitch incorporated the game’s decisive moment, turning in Emmanuel Adebayor’s drilled cross, but that would tell only part of the story.
There was a flash, too, of the tempestuous nature English football has been warned about.
Objecting to a challenge from the Timisoara captain Dan Alexa, the €27 million signing from Internazionale rebounded to his feet and tried to prolong the argument, pushing his face aggressively towards his opponent.
He was booked and the feeling was left that there are going to be plenty more fun and games to come as far as this man is concerned.
He certainly livened up a hitherto drab encounter. It was not until the half-hour mark that City managed their first effort at goal, a free-kick from Carlos Tevez that the goalkeeper, Costel Pantilimon, nonchalantly plucked from the air.
Defensively, the visitors looked compact and organised throughout the opening 45 minutes. City continued to have a marginal edge after the interval as Silva and Tevez toiled up front.
Balotelli was finally introduced for Gareth Barry and he delivered on 72 minutes, applying a clinical finish to Adebayor’s cross-shot.
FC TIMISOARA:Pantilimon, Luchin, Scutaru (Zicu, 71), Cisovsky, Sepsi, Contra (Mera, 80), Alexa, Bourceanu, Curtean, Magera (Goga, 83), Axente. Booked: Luchin 41. Subs not used: Taborda, Popovic, Dukic, Poparadu.
MANCHESTER CITY:Hart, Lescott, Kompany, Toure, Zabaleta, Barry (Balotelli, 57), Toure Yaya, Silva (A Johnson, 66), De Jong, Tevez (Jo, 77), Adebayor. Booked: Balotelli 74. Subs not used: Given, Richards, Wright-Phillips, Vieira.
Referee:F Meyer (Germany).
