City held after twice conceding lead
Mark Hughes saw his side twice blow the lead
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Thursday, 19, Feb 2009 10:22
Manchester City were twice pegged back but still claimed a positive 2-2 draw away at FC Copenhagen in the Uefa Cup this evening.
City took the lead through Nedum Onuoha with the Danish side equalising with a header from Ailton Almeida.
Mark Hughes' men looked to be heading for victory as Stephen Ireland scored with a volley, but they were denied as an unmarked Martin Vingaard headed home for Copenhagen in injury-time.
The under-pressure Hughes showed the Uefa Cup was an important competition to his side as he selected a full-strength side, with the likes of Robinho, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Craig Bellamy all starting.
Robinho and Wright-Phillips combined early on as the Brazilian passed to Wright-Phillips and he unleashed a shot which was well saved by Jesper Christiansen.
Copenhagen are on their mid-winter break and had not played a competitive game since mid-December and, combined with the freezing weather, they started sluggishly. City were by far the better side, but needed a huge slice of good fortune to take the lead.
Copenhagen goalkeeper Christiansen somehow managed to let a weak Onuoha shot squirm away from him and City took a deserved, if slightly lucky, lead.
City have been guilty of poor defending all season and it was the same again this evening. Almeida found space in the penalty area to head home a corner.
Ireland latched onto a Wright-Phillips cross to thump in a volley, but more poor City defending cost them dear. The City defence once again failed to pick up players from a cross and Vingaard headed home from a Dame N'Doye cross.