Bayern Munich 1-0 Manchester City: Joe Hart helpless to keep out Jerome Boateng's deflected last-minute strike after series of saves

• Joe Hart beaten in last-minute as Jerome Boateng strike deflects off Mario Gotze and flies into the net
• England No 1 had been in fine form and had kept the Premier League champions in the game with series of stops 
• Manchester City stopper Hart was consoled by former team-mate Boateng at the full-time whistle 
• Substitute Arjen Robben appealed for a penalty in the second half as did Muller in the first period but referee waved claims away

 

Joe Hart’s reaction said it all. Wow. It wasn’t just Jerome Boateng’s goal that had stunned him, but news of Roma’s 5-1 win over CSKA Moscow. 

The last minute winner was bad enough, but it was the glimpse of Manchester City’s future in another hellishly tough Champions League group that rocked Hart back on his heels.

He had done so much to keep City in the contest here, but it was not enough. Then, in his televised post-match interview, came the revelation that Roma may just be the pick of it from Italy in this season’s competition. 

You could see Hart doing the maths. City were already three points down on Bayern Munich, with Roma to come next – and last, in the Olympic Stadium in December. That could turn out to be a must-win game. Suddenly, Boateng’s goal took on significance greater than just a straightforward home win. What a difference a draw would have made here.

Not that City deserved it, in strict technical terms. Bayern Munich had the best of the game, the best of the chances and the goalkeeper was City’s man of the match. Yet when an away team has held out against one of the powerhouses of Europe into the 90th minute, to lose will always have the feel of hard cheese. 

Boateng’s goal took a deflection, too, but it would not be right to say it was lucky. City had several opportunities to clear a Philipp Lahm cross that continued to outstay its welcome in their penalty area. Munich are one of the best teams in Europe – and they will punish any weakness. So it proved.

The ball fell to Boateng, one of the players who helped Manchester City take their first baby steps towards major European competition, he drew back his right foot and pulled the trigger.

It was always going to take something special to beat Hart, and once the ball had clipped the back of Mario Gotze, this was one shot he could do nothing about.

It may be an important one, too, make no mistake of that. Had City earned a draw here, they could have thought of targeting either Munich or Roma in this group, with CSKA Moscow already set up as the whipping boys. 

Now the Roma game at home on September 30 looms large. They are certainly no mugs. They were 4-0 up to Moscow after just 31 minutes, the shortest space of time any Italian team had taken to establish such a lead in a Champions League tie. 

The draw has rarely been kind to City in Europe and now the action is turning against them, too. Grow a pair, they are often told. City are trying, but it is hard when they keep getting kicked up them all the time.

Of course, it could be that the Russians are quite hopeless and the scoreline overstates Roma’s threat, but City cannot afford to be complacent. They will certainly need to find another level next time. Even had they got the draw, the best that could have been said about this performance is that it was defiant, rather than convincing. 

Even Hart’s magic faded a little as the second-half wore on, and nobody could argue that Munich were not worthy winners – particularly as they were without Franck Ribery, and Arjen Robben only came on with 14 minutes remaining following injury.

Not that City were without merit. Having stood firm, with Hart exceptional, they had a very good chance on 63 minutes when a cross from Jesus Navas from the right was met by David Silva unmarked close to goal. Aerial strength is hardly his strong point, and this was a stooping header, but the ball was on a plate and it was desperately poor form not to at least get it on target.  

At the opposite end, Hart came to City’s rescue on numerous occasions. He was magnificent in the first-half and if his handling dipped as the game wore on, he may have been punchy as much as nervy. This is a Pep Guardiola side, after all, and the danger can come from anywhere. 

In the 55th minute, a quite marvellous moment of improvisation from Thomas Muller teed up Gotze, but Hart matched his shot with a fine save.

Soon after, he committed a rare error, missing a cross from Rafinha, but recovered just in time to divert Juan Bernat’s attempt over the bar. The pressure continued to mount, particularly once Robben came on and started throwing himself about, shamefully, in search of a penalty. In the 88th minute, Hart made another outstanding one-handed save from David Alaba.

It is always eventful when Hart goes up against the might of the Bundesliga and this was no different. It was a year ago that his mistakes against Bayern Munich in Manchester City’s annual Champions League fixture caused Manuel Pellegrini to doubt him. The season before he excelled against Borussia Dortmund at home. Thankfully, this had more of the Dortmund display about it. It is no exaggeration to say that Hart kept City in the game. Pellegrini’s continued hints about giving his favourite Willy Caballero a chance are curious on this evidence. 

Munich were already looking very threatening when he made his first good save after 19 minutes. Juan Bernat crossed, Thomas Muller met the ball with a header and Hart did well to stay equal to it.