Pellegrini -alas – seems to belong to the kind that find math tough going.
He was under the impression that City had to win 5-2 to top Group D. However they would have gone through with a score of 4-2 based on their head-to-head record against Bayern Munich.
He had all of 28 minutes to bring top goal scorer Sergio Aguero into the game when City was leading 3 -2 after their magnificient comeback from being two goals down.
Instead he replaced David Silva with Alvaro Negredo after 73 minutes and Edin Dzeko with defensive midfielder Jack Rodwell with two minutes remaining.
The result of his mathematical blunder is that Manchester City cannot now avoid the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the knockout stage.
Whoops!