Tuesday night time sees Metropolis return to the positioning of our very first away win within the UEFA Champions League.
We face Villarreal in a 20:00 (UK) kick-off and followers will take with them reminiscences of a visit that set off the good European journey we’ve since been on.
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Having drawn with Napoli in our opener after which misplaced at Bayern Munich, Roberto Mancini’s 2011/12 staff earned three factors towards the aspect nicknamed the Yellow Submarines on account of their putting kits on the Etihad.
An personal purpose and late, late Sergio Aguero strike introduced us again from behind that night time after conceding early towards Juan Carlos Garrido’s aspect.
Given we had been in our first season on the very prime desk in European soccer since 1968/69, it was a serious second in our historical past.
So there was tempered optimism when Metropolis took to the pitch on a balmy Spanish night time simply two weeks later.
The away followers tucked away excessive up above the pitch at El Madrigal had toured the size of Spain’s east coast to get to the tiny metropolis, with inns in Barcelona, Valencia and vacation hotspot Benidorm all utilised.
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With a inhabitants of simply round 50,000, Villarreal is remodeled on matchdays and on this event, it will be Mancunians aplenty filling the few bars in search of to utilize this inflow.
The Blues had been driving excessive, having loved the historic 6-1 thrashing of Manchester United at Previous Trafford simply 10 days prior.
However continental competitors was a special beast, with a younger squad studying about its calls for collectively.
There needn’t have been any worries that night time, with Yaya Toure particularly placing in a glowing efficiency that noticed us dominate our hosts.
Villarreal, who had been within the midst of an terrible run of kind that extremely noticed them relegated from La Liga that season, had no match for the fast considering of our midfield that night time.
The opener got here from David Silva’s pace of thought, stepping in to intercept a move earlier than supplying Yaya, who despatched his customary curling effort into the far nook from the sting of the field.
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Silva got here inches away from a second help quickly after, pulling the ball again simply behind Mario Balotelli.
Balotelli then received a penalty for a visit as he sprinted into the field earlier than dusting himself off and sending future Actual Madrid and AC Milan goalkeeper Diego Lopez the fallacious method.
David Silva had been at his sensible greatest in nearly each sport at the beginning of that season, however did have to come back off when he took a knock to his decrease again.
That was the one destructive, with Yaya once more breezing into the field earlier than giving the goalkeeper the eyes and pointing as much as the travelling supporters behind that purpose.
Nearly 14 years later, that is still the final time the 2 sides have confronted one another.
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Nonetheless, that can all change with this upcoming league part assembly.
Now formally often called Estadio de la Ceramica, owing to the area’s ceramics business, Metropolis followers returning for this conflict might bear in mind these early days on our Champions League journey as quickly as they see a flash of Villarreal’s well-known yellow.
We’ve since gone on to carry the trophy and have performed within the competitors in each marketing campaign since that night time, so whereas it’s all change, there might be a lot to mirror upon too.
Pep Guardiola confronted Villarreal on eight events as Barcelona supervisor, beating them 5 occasions and drawing the opposite video games.
In the meantime, Rodri can have fond reminiscences of his personal having began his skilled profession there.