Adebayor's three goals were his first of the season
By Phil Dawkes
Emmanuel Adebayor became the first Manchester City player to score a hat-trick in Europe in a win that puts them top of Europa League Group A.
Adebayor opened the scoring with a superb turn and finish from the edge of the area early in the first half.
The striker doubled the lead soon after with a header from David Silva's cross.
Joel Tshimbamba scored from close range to make it 2-1 but Adebayor neatly finished another Silva cross to end the Polish side's spirited challenge.
The result leaves City with seven points from three group stage games, three points clear of Lech.
Amidst all the talk this week of whether Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney might join City, it was one of Roberto Mancini's existing forwards who stole the show against Lech.
Emmanuel Adebayor has been largely over-shadowed by seven-goal top-scorer Carlos Tevez this season, but with the Argentine resting on the bench, the Togolese front-man stepped up to open his account for the campaign in emphatic fashion.
His first came in the 13th minute when he collected a pass from Patrick Vieira on the edge of the box and superbly turned his marker before side-footing expertly into the far corner of the net.
He doubled his and City's tally 12 minutes later, rising to direct a header from a Silva right-wing cross into the same right-hand corner of Lech keeper Jasmin Buric's net.
He would surely have made it a first-half hat-trick five minutes before the break had Dimitrije Injac not cut out Adam Johnson's left-wing cross with a last-gasp headed clearance.
The two goals may not have silenced the large and lively away support within Eastlands but they noticeably disheartened the Lech players, who had begun brightly but faded towards the end of the half.
The game could have been very different had Slawomir Peszko not flashed a third-minute effort from 20 yards past the far post, but their shooting increased in distance and decreased in accuracy as the first 45 minutes wore on.
However, the visitors came out with renewed purpose in the second half and were rewarded five minutes in.
Peszko's initial tumble in the box failed to earn a penalty, but Pablo Zabaleta's inability to clear saw the ball fall to Tshibamba who lashed in from close range.
Now sensing the chance to gain something from the match, Lech continued to hustle the home side, causing some nervy moments in the City defence.
But Mancini's side retained a sharper edge in their build-up play and in playmaker Silva they possessed the game's class act.
The Spaniard almost restored his side's two-goal advantage shortly after they had seen it halved when he danced through a series of Lech challenges to fashion a shooting chance but his effort was deflected wide.
Moments later it really should have been 3-1, when Johnson's cross found Adebayor unmarked in the box but a dreadful first touch allowed the Lech defence to close him down and deflect the shot wide.
Lech spurned a chance to go level when a miscued long-range Bartosz Bosacki shot fell to Tshibamba in the box but he was unable to replicate the accuracy of his earlier effort and missed the target.
The Poles were left to rue the miss as City extended their lead in the following attack when Silva's inch-perfect cross from the right gave Adebayor the simple task of side-footing home first time from eight yards to break new ground for City with his hat-trick.
Only the corner of the goal frame denied Johnson making it four after he had danced between two challenges and unleashed a curling left-foot shot, but the game was already won.
City could have made the last few minutes tricky for themselves after an error by Kolo Toure gifted possession to Tshibamba but the striker was unable to direct his shot goalwards.
90:00+4:28 The referee signals the end of the game.
90:00+3:45 Artjoms Rudnevs takes a shot. Dedryk Boyata gets a block in. Short corner taken by Siarhey Krivets.
90:00+1:12 Artjoms Rudnevs handles the ball and concedes a free kick. Joe Hart takes the indirect free kick.
89:11 Artjoms Rudnevs is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Free kick taken by Joe Hart.
87:58 Marcin Kikut takes a shot. Save by Joe Hart.
87:45 Short corner taken by Siarhey Krivets from the left by-line.
87:30 Siarhey Krivets takes a shot. Save made by Joe Hart.
86:39 Joao Alves Jo takes a shot. Save by Jasmin Buric.
83:47 Artjoms Rudnevs takes a shot. Blocked by Micah Richards.
83:47 Substitution Pablo Zabaleta leaves the field to be replaced by Wayne Bridge.
83:47 Semir Stilic takes a short corner.
82:02 Marcin Kikut concedes a free kick for a foul on Joao Alves Jo. Direct free kick taken by Emmanuel Adebayor.
80:35 Emmanuel Adebayor challenges Bartosz Bosacki unfairly and gives away a free kick. Bartosz Bosacki takes the free kick.
78:18 Adam Johnson takes a shot.
Correction - 76:37 Substitution Joao Alves Jo comes on in place of Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Correction - 76:37 Emmanuel Adebayor is ruled offside. Jasmin Buric takes the indirect free kick.
76:37 Substitution Joao Alves Jo replaces Shaun Wright-Phillips.
76:37 Emmanuel Adebayor is ruled offside. Jasmin Buric takes the indirect free kick,
74:31 Semir Stilic takes the inswinging corner, Patrick Vieira makes a clearance. Siarhey Krivets produces a right-footed shot from
just outside the box that goes wide left of the goal.
74:15 Substitution David Silva leaves the field to be replaced by Gnegneri Toure Yaya.
72:47 Assist by David Silva.
72:47 GOAL - Emmanuel Adebayor:Man City 3 - 1 Lech Poznan A goal is scored by Emmanuel Adebayor from inside the penalty area low into the middle of the goal. Man City 3-1 Lech Poznan.
71:55 Bartosz Bosacki gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Patrick Vieira. David Silva takes the free kick.
69:43 Shot on goal by Joel Tshibamba from inside the box goes harmlessly over the target.
68:49 Substitution Manuel Arboleda goes off and Ivan Djurdjevic comes on.
67:41 Siarhey Krivets concedes a free kick for a foul on Adam Johnson. Adam Johnson has an effort direct from the free kick.
66:09 Emmanuel Adebayor takes a shot. Dimitrije Injac gets a block in. Short corner taken by David Silva.
64:26 Marcin Kikut fouled by Shaun Wright-Phillips, the ref awards a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Dimitrije Injac.
61:05 Shot by Patrick Vieira from outside the box goes over the target.
59:53 Joel Tshibamba fouled by Patrick Vieira, the ref awards a free kick. Indirect free kick taken by Marcin Kikut.
58:46 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Joel Tshibamba by Dedryk Boyata. Semir Stilic takes the direct free kick.
57:48 Handball by Shaun Wright-Phillips. Strike comes in from Slawomir Peszko from the free kick.
57:17 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Semir Stilic by Nigel De Jong. Siarhey Krivets takes the free kick.
56:01 Inswinging corner taken right-footed by David Silva, Manuel Arboleda makes a clearance.
54:53 Foul by Semir Stilic on Nigel De Jong, free kick awarded. Shaun Wright-Phillips takes the free kick. David Silva takes a shot.
Save made by Jasmin Buric.
54:53 Substitution (Lech Poznan) makes a substitution, with Semir Stilic coming on for Jakub Wilk.
52:49 Kamil Drygas gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on David Silva. Nigel De Jong takes the direct free kick.
52:14 Luis Henriquez fouled by Emmanuel Adebayor, the ref awards a free kick. Indirect free kick taken by Manuel Arboleda.
49:29 GOAL - Joel Tshibamba:Man City 2 - 1 Lech Poznan Joel Tshibamba gets on the score sheet with a goal from close range to the bottom left corner of the goal. Man City 2-1 Lech
Poznan.
47:28 Foul by Adam Johnson on Dimitrije Injac, free kick awarded. Jasmin Buric takes the indirect free kick.
45:07 Slawomir Peszko gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Pablo Zabaleta. Joe Hart restarts play with the free kick.
45:01 The game restarts for the second half.
Half Time
45:00+0:35 The first half comes to an end.
44:17 Emmanuel Adebayor is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Free kick taken by Jasmin Buric.
40:58 Corner taken by David Silva, Manuel Arboleda makes a clearance.
40:20 Effort on goal by Dimitrije Injac from outside the box goes harmlessly over the bar.
39:57 Inswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Siarhey Krivets, Micah Richards manages to make a clearance.
37:13 Emmanuel Adebayor fouled by Manuel Arboleda, the ref awards a free kick. Free kick taken by Adam Johnson.
36:19 Free kick awarded for a foul by Slawomir Peszko on Pablo Zabaleta. Indirect free kick taken by Pablo Zabaleta.
35:32 David Silva takes the outswinging corner, Kamil Drygas manages to make a clearance.
34:14 Corner taken left-footed by Jakub Wilk, clearance by Joleon Lescott. Kamil Drygas takes a shot. Joleon Lescott gets a block
in.
32:46 Direct free kick taken by Pablo Zabaleta.
32:46 Booking The referee shows Bartosz Bosacki a yellow card.
32:31 Pablo Zabaleta fouled by Bartosz Bosacki, the ref awards a free kick.
30:35 Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Siarhey Krivets from the left by-line, Shot from just outside the area by Kamil Drygas
goes over the bar.
30:19 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Joel Tshibamba by Dedryk Boyata. Indirect free kick taken by Luis Henriquez.
29:08 Bartosz Bosacki concedes a free kick for a foul on Emmanuel Adebayor. Joe Hart takes the free kick.
26:41 Free kick awarded for a foul by Kamil Drygas on Micah Richards. Free kick taken by Micah Richards.
25:39 Joel Tshibamba takes a shot. Joe Hart makes a save.
24:21 Assist on the goal came from David Silva.
24:21 GOAL - Emmanuel Adebayor:Man City 2 - 0 Lech Poznan Emmanuel Adebayor grabs a headed goal from inside the penalty box. Man City 2-0 Lech Poznan.
23:25 Inswinging corner taken by Siarhey Krivets from the left by-line, Shot from just outside the area by Jakub Wilk goes over
the bar.
21:49 Corner taken by Marcin Kikut from the right by-line, Foul by Manuel Arboleda on Patrick Vieira, free kick awarded. Joe Hart
takes the free kick.
21:08 Joel Tshibamba fouled by Dedryk Boyata, the ref awards a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Siarhey Krivets.
20:31 Shaun Wright-Phillips takes a shot. Blocked by Manuel Arboleda.
20:11 Kamil Drygas takes a shot. Save by Joe Hart.
15:19 Kamil Drygas concedes a free kick for a foul on Emmanuel Adebayor. Direct free kick taken by Patrick Vieira.
12:49 Assist by Patrick Vieira.
12:49 GOAL - Emmanuel Adebayor:Man City 1 - 0 Lech Poznan A goal is scored by Emmanuel Adebayor from deep inside the penalty box to the bottom right corner of the goal. Man City 1-0
Lech Poznan.
12:36 Luis Henriquez challenges Adam Johnson unfairly and gives away a free kick. Adam Johnson takes the direct free kick.
11:26 Free kick awarded for a foul by Patrick Vieira on Kamil Drygas. Indirect free kick taken by Bartosz Bosacki.
10:50 Shaun Wright-Phillips has an effort at goal from outside the area which goes wide left of the target.
9:06 Adam Johnson takes a inswinging corner from the right by-line played to the near post, Dimitrije Injac makes a clearance.
5:41 Shaun Wright-Phillips is ruled offside. Luis Henriquez takes the free kick.
5:17 Dimitrije Injac fouled by David Silva, the ref awards a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Dimitrije Injac.
3:53 A cross is delivered by Adam Johnson.
2:46 Effort from the edge of the box by Slawomir Peszko goes wide of the left-hand upright.
0:00 The ref blows the whistle to start the match.
Live text and data provided by The Press Association.
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