Manchester City struggled in the early going, but were never really threatened. After 30 minutes though, they found their form and easily cruised past Villarreal, 3-0, in their UEFA Champions League clash at El Madrigal. Yaya Toure led the way with a brace as the Citizens jumped to second place in Group A, three points behind leaders Bayern Munich and two clear of third place Napoli.
Villarreal Vs. Manchester City, 2011 UEFA Champions League: Citizens Cruise To 3-0 Win
The opening half hour of the match was a bore, with both teams giving the ball away with bad touches and bad passes. That was finally cleared up when Toure gathered a pass from David Silva and when the defense slid towards Silva in anticipation of the one-two, Toure was free to shoot. He calmly put the ball towards the back post and the visitors were in front.
Just before halftime, Mario Balotelli doubled the City lead when he went down easy to earn a penalty then converted the spot kick. As Balotelli pushed the ball towards the end line and gave chase, Mateo Musacchio gave in from behind with a slight push and the City striker was only too happy to go the ground. The referee bought the fall and gave the penalty, which Balotelli finished to make it 2-0.
With the match in hand, the Citizens knocked the ball around easily for the remainder of the match. Toure made it two in the 71st minute with some cool dribbling that put him past a couple defenders before finish, but that was just for fun. The match was never really in doubt and City were on their way to a win.
The result sets the stage for a huge match in Naples on November 22 when City visits Napoli. It could be the match that decides who will be the second team from Group A to advance. Meanwhile, Villarreal's Champions League run is over as this match left them with zero points, making it impossible for them to advance.
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