Manchester City 2 - 2 Ajax: City on the brink of exit despite fightback - Sport - Scotsman.com MANCHESTER City were all but eliminated from the Champions League despite producing a fightback against Ajax to draw 2-2. Manchester City - Toure (22), Aguero (74) Ajax - De Jong (10, 17) Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero struck as City fought back from 2-0 down but the English champions were forced to settle for a draw and remain winless in Group D despite a frantic finish. Siem de Jong, who scored in the Dutch side's defeat of City in Amsterdam a fortnight ago, found the net twice for the visitors inside the opening 17 minutes at the Etihad Stadium. The result left City with just two points from four games and needing two victories and other results to go their way to claim a place in the knockout stages. There were angry scenes at the end when City's players and manager Roberto Mancini lambasted referee Peter Rasmussen after an Aguero goal was ruled offside near the end. Mancini pulled no punches when discussing the performance of the officials. The referee and the linesman were really poor. It was a penalty, and it was a goal," the angry Italian manager said. I told [Rasmussen] it was a goal and not offside. City made a lively start, showing far more attacking intent in the opening minutes than they did in the early stages of their 3-1 loss in the Netherlands. Yet while City's understanding of their group predicament may have been clear, their recent defensive frailties again proved their undoing. Matija Nastasic needlessly conceded a corner and the hosts" defending from the set-piece was equally unimpressive. Niklas Moisander flicked Christian Eriksen's delivery into the danger area and De Jong pounced to hook into the roof of the net from close range. It got worse as Ajax won another corner and doubled their lead seven minutes later. City's marking was again slack as this time De Jong popped up at the near post and met Eriksen's cross with a header which flew past Joe Hart. City managed to haul themselves back into the game without him as Toure's spectacular effort found the net. The Ivorian controlled Toby Alderweireld's attempted clearance on his chest six yards out and twisted to lash home a powerful volley. Mancini sent on Mario Balotelli for the start of the second half in place of Garcia. Carlos Tevez earned a free-kick just outside the area which Toure hit into the wall. The ball worked its way to Aguero and the striker poked home but his celebrations were ended by an offside flag. City continued to press and were finally rewarded after deciding to go long. Balotelli leapt to win the header and Aguero raced through, staying on his feet this time, to fire low past Vermeer from the edge of the area. City thought they had snatched a winner when Aguero poked home two minutes from time but the flag had again been raised as the cross came in. There was a penalty shout in the dying seconds for a pull on Balotelli but Rasmussen blew the whistle amid stormy scenes as Mancini marched on to confront him. Manchester City: Hart, Zabalet, Kompany, Nastasic, Clichy, Javi Garcia (Balotelli 46), Barry (Kolarov 85), Nasri, Toure, Aguero,Tevez (Dzeko 66). Subs Not Used: Pantilimon, Maicon, Sinclair, Meppen-Walter. Ajax: Vermeer, Van Rhijn, Alderweireld, Moisander, Blind, De Jong, Poulsen (Fischer 87), Schone (Enoh 77), Boerrigter (Sana 90), Eriksen,Babel. Subs Not Used: Cillessen, Veltman, Denswil, Dijks.