Bad Start To Europa For Blues

Birmingham City were hoping to get their Europa League campaign off to a flying start but instead ended up with a lesson in European football.

Last season's beaten finalists Braga showed early on that they were a class above Blues and by the time the game came to an end, Birmingham face an uphill battle to progress in the competition.

Two goals from Helder Barbosa, early in the game and again late on, made sure that Blues and their much changed side were left with little to show from the game that they carried such high hopes into.

But it was City who had the first chance of the game early on when King set off down the wing and played a sweet pass to Rooney who could only manage to hit the side netting.

Two minutes later and City were a goal down. Helderson sent in a curling cross and Barbosa smashed home a volley from 20 yards that game Myhill no chance.

Viana then had the chance to double the score but Myhill pulled off a brilliant save to stop his free kick from going in.
In the 21st minute Rooney was inches away again, flicking over the crossbar a left-wing free-kick from Wade Elliott, but then the game went into a bit of a scrappy period.

On the hour mark Braga scored a disputed second when Elderson sent in a cross for Gomes, but the ball fell to Lima who was in an offside position just before and he hit a half volley from 10 yards into the roof of the net.

Myhill had made another fantastic save to deny Lima once again and then City pulled a goal back when Burke produced an angled run and low pull back into the six-yard box and King was on hand to tap in to make it 2-1.

Braga hit City in the last three minutes with a counter attack and Silva passed to Barbosa who fired home to make it 3-1.

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