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Amsterdam ArenA - Amsterdam 24/10/2012 - 20:45CET (20:45 local time)
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Ajax - Man. City 3-1 - 24/10/2012 - Match page - UEFA Champions League 2013
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Ajax hit heights to leave City foundering
AFC Ajax picked up their first points in Group D with a well-deserved 3-1 victory over Manchester City FC.
The Dutch champions started confidently and threatened twice through the lively Christian Eriksen, yet it was Manchester City who drew first blood when Samir Nasri finished off a slick counterattack in style. Ajax captain Siem de Jong restored parity seconds before the half-time whistle with a fine low shot after good work by Ricardo van Rhijn. Niklas Moisander then scored with a header for the second UEFA Champions League match in a row to give his side the lead, before Eriksen's third secured the points and consigned the Citizens to bottom spot in Group D.
Match in 5
- Ajax gain first Group D points
- City go ahead through Nasri
- De Jong, Moisander and Eriksen on target for hosts
- English champions bottom with one point
- Two sides meet again on 6 November
Reaction
Today we showed what we want to do. We played dominant football and they did not have an answer to that.
Frank de Boer, Ajax coach
It is very difficult to qualify now, it would take a miracle. They played better than us. It is probably my fault, I prepared badly for this game.
Roberto Mancini, Manchester City manager
Lineups
 | Ajax |  | Man. City |
| 1 | Vermeer (GK) | 1 | Hart (GK) |
| 3 | Alderweireld | 2 | Richards |
| 4 | Moisander 57 | 4 | Kompany (C) |
| 5 | C. Poulsen | 6 | Lescott 63 |
| 8 | Eriksen68 | 7 | Milner78 |
| 10 | S. De Jong (C)45 | 8 | Nasri22 |
| 17 | Blind 29 | 10 | Džeko |
| 19 | Sana74 | 16 | Agüero |
| 20 | Schøne89 | 18 | Barry71 |
| 24 | Van Rhijn | 22 | Clichy |
| 49 | Babel | 42 | Y. Touré79 |
Substitutes | |||
| 22 | Cillessen (GK) | 30 | Pantilimon (GK) |
| 6 | Enoh74 | 11 | Sinclair |
| 7 | Sulejmani | 13 | Kolarov6375 |
| 21 | Boerrigter89 | 32 | Tévez71 |
| 33 | Veltman | 33 | Nastasić |
| 35 | Dijks | 45 | Balotelli78 |
| 39 | Fischer | 74 | Evans |
Coaches | |||
| Frank De Boer (NED) | Roberto Mancini (ITA) | ||
Referee | |||
| Svein Oddvar Moen (NOR) | |||
Standings
Group D
| P | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Dortmund | 3 | 7 |
| 2 |  Real Madrid | 3 | 6 |
| 3 |  Ajax | 3 | 3 |
| 4 |  Man. City | 3 | 1 |
Legend:
- P: Played
- Pts: Points
Match statistics
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Minute By Minute
- 89Boerrigter (in) - Schøne (out) (Ajax)
- 79Y. Touré (Man. City) is cautioned by the referee.
- 78Balotelli (in) - Milner (out) (Man. City)
- 75Kolarov (Man. City) is cautioned by the referee.
Ajax win their first game against English opposition at home since 1980, but more importantly than that, their qualification hopes remain alive. Siem de Jong, Niklas Moisander and Christian Eriksen got the crucial goals, after Samir Nasri had put City ahead.