Manchester City 2-0 Birmingham: Owen Hargreaves marks debut with a screamer as Mario Balotelli strike seals comfortable victory

The hosts made several changes to side that drew 2-2 with Fulham over the weekend, including Kolo Toure making his first start since coming back from his long-term suspension and Mario Balotelli starting for the first time this season.

But it was Hargreaves making his City debut that was the main talking point, following his move from neighbors Manchester United.

City was impressive throughout the game and at its strongest during the first period with Hargreaves’ stunning effort from distance smashing into Doyle’s corner and Balotelli’s easy passing shot finding the other.

Birmingham looked a bit brighter in the second half, but couldn’t overcome a powerful City display and the hosts should have made it 3-0 on a number of occasions, with Tevez going closest late on.

City inevitably started the stronger of the two teams and could have had a clear chance if Balotelli could have navigated round the Birmingham defense, instead of diving to the ground in a non-existent penalty claim. The Italian attacker did get the hosts’ first shot on target just a few minutes later, but the former Inter player couldn’t test Doyle with his tame shot.

Hargreaves opened both the scoring and his City account with a superb striker from 20 yards out, after Balotelli with his back to goal laid the ball up for the former Manchester United man and the midfielder sweetly put his foot through it, sending the ball into the corner of Doyle’s net.

Birmingham struggled to press as the first half progressed, but following a free kick on the left, Blues center back Curtis Davies attempted a wicked overhead kick that almost made its way into the City goalmouth, with Stefan Savic stopping it on the line.

Balotelli made it 2-0 to the hosts during a racing run down the wing by Aleksander Kolarov in which the Serb placed the ball in the Italian’s direction in the box and the lone striker passed the ball passed Doyle and both center backs in front of goal.

The former Inter Milan attacker nearly doubled his lead with an audacious curling shot from outside the Birmingham box, with the ball narrowly missing the bar of Doyle’s goal halfway through the second period of play.

City continued to tease it visitors with accurate and, at times, fast passing around the perimeter of the pitch at the Etihad Stadium. Birmingham threw on a substitute duo in Nikola Zigic and Morgaro Gomis, but they failed to make any impact.

Carlos Tevez should have made it three to City after going through on goal, but his and Toure’s follow up couldn’t get past Doyle’s tremendous double save and the hosts went through on just the two netted chances.  

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