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Classic Match – City v Portsmouth 21st Sept 2009

It was a time of great jubilation for City. A takeover of the club by ADUG would be completed within the following few days and the blues were displaying a wealth of talent which included the Brazilian trio of Robinho, Jo and Elano while the club’s new chairman, Khaldoon Al Muburak was unveiled to the supporters prior to kick off.

The new chairman didn’t have to wait long for City’s first attack of the game. Jo fed his compatriot Robinho, whose curling shot had former City keeper David James at full stretch to stop City from taking an early lead. He didn’t know it at the time but James was in for a busy afternoon.

Ten minutes later, Robinho’s ball released Shaun Wright-Phillips whose shot was blocked by James. The blues had full control of the game and with all the possession City were having, it was only a matter of time before they took the lead.

Jo timed his run to perfection to latch onto Robinho’s pass and the £18m marksman rounded James and slotted home to put City 1-0 up. Portsmouth’s Peter Crouch would rue missing a chance on 20 minutes when he should have headed home as two minutes later, the blues went 2-0 up.

Elano’s corner had James scrambling across to the near post but Richard Dunne got there ahead of him and Sol Campbell to score on his birthday. Joe Hart in the City goal was a mere spectator and should have been tested by Crouch but he fired wide and City went into the break knowing Portsmouth were there for the taking.

Half Time: City 2-0 Portsmouth

It only took the blues 10 second half minutes to put the game beyond reach. Stephen Ireland cleverly lofted the ball over form City defender Sylvain Distin and Jo’s strength got him to the ball and fed Robinho who curled the ball home from 15 yards.

That was game over but the players were eager to impress their new owners. On 65 minutes, City went 4-0 up. Wright-Phillips latched onto Ireland’s superb through ball to hammer past James and score his third goal since his return from Chelsea.

Moments after that goal, Jo was replaced by Ched Evans who didn’t take long to get himself on the scoresheet. Elano’s pass wide found Robinho who’s run and cross was backheeled by Wright-Phillips into the path of Evans who couldn’t miss from ten yards.

And Portsmouth’s misery was completed when James fumbled Javier Garrido’s cross into the path to Gelson Fernandes who knocked the ball into an empty net to complete the rout.

Final Score: City 6-0 Portsmouth

Teams

City: Hart, Zabaleta, Richards, Dunne, Garrido, Kompany, Wright-Phillips, Ireland (Gelson 77), Elano, Robinho (Sturridge 85), Jo (Evans 71).
Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Michael Ball, Hamann, Ben-Haim.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson (Pamarot 82), Distin, Campbell, Belhadj, Diarra, Davis (Diop 33), Kaboul (Utaka 46), Armand Traore, Crouch, Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Hreidarsson, Mvuemba, Kanu.

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