Joe Hart was left to curse his luck after a deflected last-minute strike condemned Manchester City to defeat at Bayern Munich.
England goalkeeper Hart had looked like earning City a creditable goalless draw in their Champions League Group E opener at the Allianz Arena with a string of outstanding saves.
But Bayern pressed to the end and snatched the victory their overall dominance probably deserved when former City defender Jerome Boateng’s shot from the edge of the box took a slight deflection off Mario Gotze and beat Hart.
Hart said: “We did okay and looked like we were going to get a result out of it, which would have been a good start to the group away against a good side.
“But it was an unfortunate deflection that ended up going in, and that killed us.
“I had a bit to do, but we defended well on the whole and had a few chances. It could have been the perfect performance and we come away with a a 1-0 win, but unfortunately we ended up with a loss.”
City had their moments, with the threatening Edin Dzeko testing Manuel Neuer and the impressive David Silva heading narrowly wide. Silva also had a good penalty appeal rejected.
But Bayern, despite the absence of stellar names such as Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thiago Alcantara and Javi Martinez, were as formidable as their reputation.
They created numerous opportunities for the likes of Thomas Muller, David Alaba, Robert Lewandowski and Gotze, but the best of them were saved by Hart.
It looked like being Hart’s night when he kept out a Boateng piledriver with a superb one-handed stop late on, only for his ex-colleague to have the last laugh moments later.
Yaya Toure’s performance in the City midfield attracted some criticism, with the Ivorian not his usual imposing self.
Toure also missed last weekend’s game at Arsenal after returning late from international duty, but assistant manager Ruben Cousillas denied he was unfit.
Cousillas, carrying out media duties with head coach Manuel Pellegrini serving a touchline ban, said: “He was absolutely fit and physically without problem.”
The agonising defeat means City are already playing catch-up in a group that also includes Serie A runners-up Roma, who opened their campaign with a 5-1 win over CSKA Moscow.
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, however, expects City to prove serious rivals for the rest of the competition.
Guardiola said: “We created a lot of opportunities to score but it was not easy against them. We played with a lot of courage and we won and we earned it.
“We know how difficult this group is. We know it will not be decided until the last game, so to start with this victory is very important for us.”
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
MATCH INFO
Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)
Manchester United 0
Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
