LOOKING BACK | CITY'S GERMAN FRIENDLIES
Club News
22nd July
As the Bluebirds prepare for the 2016/17 campaign with a pre-season trip to Germany, we've gone back through the archives to look at City's historic links with German sides.
You can read about the Bluebirds' European tour of 1924 here, our previous meeting with VfL Osnabrückhere AND a famous Cup Winners' Cup Semi Final with Hamburger SVhere.
In the latest in the series, we take a look back at a number of City friendlies with German opposition since the 1960s...
SV WERDER BREMEN
On July 31st 1969 we played West German side SV Werder Bremen at Ninian Park. An 8,899 attendance saw the match which was drawn 2-2, with two goals from Brian Clark.
Both sides ended the game with ten men, after Ronnie Bird and Joseph Piontek were sent off by referee Leo Callaghan after clashing with each other.
FC SCHALKE 04
Two years later, on August 4th 1971, the Bluebirds played FC Schalke 04 in a pre-season friendly.
A Ninian Park attendance 8,236 saw our exciting 5-3 win in which our goals came from Brian Clark (2), Alan Warboys, John Parsons and Ian Gibson.
TSV 1860 MUNICH
It was another forty-three years before we met German opposition again, as City faced TSV 1860 Munich in a pre-season competition in Austria on July 19th 2014.
The Bluebirds won 3-2, our scorers being Federico Macheda, Peter Whittingham and Etien Velikonja.
VfL WOLFSBURG
Our most recent encounter with German opposition was a few weeks later at Cardiff City Stadium when 8,361 saw a 3-3 draw with VfL Wolfsburg.
In an enjoyable encounter, the German outfit were 2-0 up within half an hour, thanks to goals from Marcel Schäfer and current Manchester City man Kevin De Bruyne, who hit a powerful drive into the top corner from 25 yards.
In response, our own midfield magician, Peter Whittingham, curled a low free-kick through the wall and into the bottom right hand corner. As the half drew to a close, the Bluebirds got back on level terms; after a great run into the box, full back Fábio squared for Nicky Maynard to easily slot home.
In the second period, City took the lead for the first time in the match, through Kim Bo-Kyung. Adam Le Fondre’s cross was headed against the post by Kenwyne Jones, but the Korean was on hand to tap the rebound into the empty net.
However, with Wolfsburg losing in the final three minutes, Ivica Olić had other ideas... He converted Daniel Caligiuri’s low cross past Simon Moore, to level the match and provide an exciting finish to the friendly encounter.
Watch highlights of City's 3-3 draw with VfL Wolfsburg below...
