Why Manchester City Fans Have The Right To Be Angry With Martin Demichelis

The world was watching this evening as Manchester City hosted La Liga giants Barcelona. City had previously failed in their Champions League bids but with Manuel Pellegrini transforming them into free-scoring powerhouses with a strong home record, there was hope looming around Manchester. It didn’t go to plan though, and I firmly believe that it was one man that cost them.

Before the game there had been a debate regarding who partnered Vincent Kompany for the tie and it was Martin Demichelis that got the nod. It turned out to be a poor choice.

From the off he looked shaky and was wasteful when he had the ball. It could be a result of going up against some of the best players on the planet, but it looked as though it unsettled everyone around him.

As the game got going he settled slowly, but his rash challenge, which was more of a reckless lunge from behind, saw him bring down Messi. Although it was debatable whether or not it was inside the box, he was sent off and Messi converted the penalty.

As if going up against Barcelona wasn’t hard enough, City were now a goal and a man down.

During his side on the pitch he completed just 74% of his passes, which was the worst of any of the out-field starters, and looked out of sorts, but no statistics can explain how much he has let his side down.