Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini says he's to blame for their Europa League exit at the hands of Sporting Lisbon.

City trailed 3-0 on aggregate after conceding goals to Matias Fernandez and Ricky van Wolfswinkel in an undisciplined first-half performance.

Yet two goals from Sergio Aguero and a Mario Balotelli penalty, all inside the last half-hour, gave City hope of an unlikely victory which goalkeeper Joe Hart was agonisingly close to completing in injury time.

Mancini said: "In the first half we didn't play, but I am the manager and it's not the players' fault, but mine - I probably made a mistake.

"The players did everything, and fought on the pitch.

"When a manager doesn't prepare well for the game, this happens.

"When I lose a game I think about why I lost and think about where I made mistakes.

"I understand we have big players but in football every game is difficult, and in the Europa League and Champions League it is more difficult, because every team plays to win.

"Sometimes we make mistakes, but the manager is the person who always prepares the game, and I probably made some mistakes for these two games."