Executioner of Sporting Portugal (5-0) this Tuesday in Lisbon, Manchester City already has one foot and four toes in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after an impressive collective demonstration.
Bernardo Silva, Sterling and the Skyblues on the go.
In demonstration, Manchester City has already folded the case and acted, barring cataclysm, its presence in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by outclassing Sporting Portugal (5-0) on its soil this Tuesday in the round of 16 first leg.
Despite an energetic start from the Portuguese, the Skyblues did not take long to find the fault.
Mahrez puts the Citizens in the lead
On a nice move, Mahrez opened the scoring from close range after a strike from Foden repelled by Adan. First canceled, this goal was logically validated by the VAR (0-1, 7th). From then on in total control, Pep Guardiola’s men came close to 2-0 on a header from Stones not on target. It was only a postponement since Bernardo Silva took advantage of a badly repelled corner to make the break with a half-volley (0-2, 17th). What a praline!
4-0 the break!
The English then began to expose themselves on counterattacks but the locals did not convert their multiple situations, because of their bad choices when approaching the opposing goal. Less sovereign than at the start of the game but devilishly realistic, the finalists of the previous edition took the opportunity to take off via Foden after a number from Mahrez (0-3, 32nd). Bernardo Silva, on a deflected strike, drove the point home again before the break by signing a double (0-4, 44th)! 5 shots on target, 4 goals: the Mancunians had made their realism speak.
Skyblues never stop
For Ruben Amorim’s men, however, the nightmare continued when they returned from the locker room. If the VAR deprived Bernardo Silva of the hat-trick for a slight offside, Sterling went for his goal with a superb shot rolled up in the top corner (0-5, 59th). Despite his clear advantage, the Skyblues steamroller continued to push to score a new goal and offer an end to the game that was still just as pleasant in front of an audience that continued to encourage his people. The return to the Etihad Stadium on March 9 should be a simple formality.
Match score: 8/10
A one-way match, but a real spectacle! The ball has circulated a lot from one camp to another and there will have been few downtimes. All in a superb atmosphere with a Portuguese public who had the class to encourage their favorites to the end despite the sinking.
The goals :
– Cancelo launches Bernardo Silva. In the area, the Portuguese returns to Foden, whose shot is pushed back by Adan… on De Bruyne. The Belgian puts in the axis where Mahrez concludes in the empty goal at the penalty spot (0-1, 7th).
– Following a corner from Mahrez badly repelled, Bernardo Silva emerges and unleashes a powerful half-volley from the left which bounces under the bar and enters the goal (0-2, 17th).
– Right side, Mahrez plays with two defenders and crosses in the axis where Reis misses his interception and allows Foden to conclude easily from close range (0-3, 32nd).
– Cancelo launches Sterling deep. The Englishman temporizes then serves in the back Bernardo Silva who takes over instantly from the left. Inacio deflects his shot and deceives Adan (0-4, 44th).
– Following a missed raise from Adan, Bernardo Silva sends Sterling. At 20 meters, the English unleashed a love shot rolled up from the right which will clean the right corner of the Spaniard (0-5, 59th).
Players’ NOTES
Maxifoot has assigned a score (out of 10) comments on each player.
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (8.5/10)
Back home, the Portuguese delivered a recital. Involved in 4 of his team’s 5 goals, the attacking midfielder notably scored a double, including a superb first goal on a half-volley. Inspired in his choices, he initiates the first goal and still serves Sterling on the 5th. Only a slight offside deprived him of the hat-trick and he enjoyed even his defensive returns, like the saving one before the break. Replaced in the 85th minute by Liam Delap (not not).
SPORTING LISBON :
Antonio Adan (3): the goalkeeper’s evening gradually turned into a nightmare. Unclear on the 3rd goal, where he could have gone out on Foden, the Spaniard then started to miss raises in the second half and, on one of them, he ended up being punished with this jewel of Sterling .
Gonalo Incio (4): after a relatively quiet start to the game compared to his teammates, the right defender had bad luck by deflecting Bernardo Silva’s shot on the 4-0 and then Sterling temporarily took the lead over him.
Sebastin Coates (3): the captain of Sporting will have illustrated the sinking of his people during the 3rd goal. On the ground, completely helpless, the central defender tries to steal the ball from Foden, who scores at close range while playing him.
Matheus Reis (1): a nightmarish evening for the central defender, completely overwhelmed. To his credit: a failed clearance which ends up in the head of Stones, a new insufficient clearance which offers the 2-0 Bernardo Silva, and above all a missed interception on the 3-0. Hard…
Pedro Porro (5): the right piston did honorably against Sterling, against whom he won several duels. The Spaniard also played an active role on the counters. Replace the 82nd minute with Neto (no not).
Joo Palhinha (4.5): the midfielder made several comebacks which relieved his defense but he generally struggled in the battle of the middle.
Matheus Nunes (3): the midfielder did not help his team get out of the enemy’s grip by accumulating ball losses.
Ricardo Esgaio (4): put in the wind by Mahrez on the 3rd goal, the left piston had a lot of trouble stopping the Algerian and he lacked precision in the offensive register.
Pedro Goncalves (3): finally holder after being presented as a package, the winger will not have had the expected contribution. Draft and muzzled, the Portuguese has never been able to make a difference. Replace the 50th minute with Ugarte (not not).
Paulinho (4): a complicated evening for the center forward. The Portuguese didn’t have much to eat. He tried to play it intelligently, the image of his cross for Esgaio before the break, but that was not enough… Replaced the 75th minute by Islam Slimani (not).
Pablo Sarabia (3): on loan from PSG, the winger did try to exist and he made some interesting calls between the lines, but then he came up against the opposing defenders straight away and was not able to bring danger. Replace the 75th minute with Bruno Tabata (no not).
MANCHESTER CITY :
Ederson Moraes (5.5): a quiet evening for the Brazilian goalkeeper, who did not have a single stoppage to make. His toughest opponent was finally his coach Pep Guardiola who cursed after his short reminders at the start of the match, asking him to play longer on Cancelo.
John Stones (6): aligned as a right-back in the absence of Walker, suspended, the usual central defender did the job and completely extinguished Sarabia. Offensively, the English weighed less after his header went wide at the start of the game, but his team did not need him in this register. Replace the 61st minute with Oleksandr Zinchenko (not not).
Rben Dias (7): copiously whistled on each ball taken, the former rock of Benfica largely held the house and imposed his power in the duels to stop the timid incursions of the enemy.
Aymeric Laporte (6): like Dias, the Spanish international made a clean copy full of srnit. Unlike his understanding, the central defender was however nervous at times, as in this intervention on Paulinho where he was close to yellow. Replace the 84th minute with Nathan Ak (not).
Joo Cancelo (7.5): Lined up in the left lane, the Portuguese played a key role in his team’s game and he initiated two of his team’s five goals by serving Bernardo Silva and then Sterling with the right timing. Precious.
Kevin De Bruyne (7): decisive passer for Mahrez on the opener, the attacking midfielder will not have been the most prominent for the Citizens but his passes remain as sharp as ever and made it possible to take back the opposing defense several times . Very fair in his choices.
Rodri Hernndez (7): imperial in recovery and clean in his transmissions, the midfielder fulfilled his role brilliantly and allowed the Skyblues to play in an armchair. Decisive on the 2nd goal of his team in his aerial duel. Replaced in the 73rd minute by Fernandinho (no not).
Bernardo Silva (8.5): read the comment above.
Riyad Mahrez (8): new scorer, the winger confirmed his excellent current form. Opportunistic to open the scoring after 7 minutes, the Algerian is involved in 2 other achievements since he hits the corner of the 2-0, and performs a festival on the 3-0. Each of his ball shots sent a shiver through the opposing defense, but he will have had a little more waste and a little lack of accuracy in the last pass in the second period.
Philip Foden (7): aligned in false number nine, the Englishman scored the 3rd goal for his team in foxing surfaces, after having already helped to open the scoring with his shot pushed back. Precious in the game with its discounts and stalls. Replace the 61st minute with Ilkay Gundogan (not not).
Raheem Sterling (7.5): the left winger was initially the least prominent of British attacking players. But he came out of his box before the break with his sharp call and decisive pass for Bernardo Silva. In confidence, the Englishman then scores his team’s last goal on a rolled-up striking jewel.
+ Find the results and the Champions League ranking on Maxifoot
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SPORTING LISBON 0-5 MANCHESTER CITY (mid-time: 0-4) – CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – 1/8th finals
Stadium: Jos Alvalade, Lisbon – Referee: Srdan Jovanovic, Serbia
Goals : – R. Mahrez (7th) Bernardo Silva (17th) P. Foden (32nd) Bernardo Silva (44th) R. Sterling (58th) for MANCHESTER CITY
Warnings :
SPORTING LISBON :
MANCHESTER CITY :
VIDEO: Bernardo Silva’s praline
VIDEO: Sterling’s jewel
The atmosphere was exceptional at the Stade Jos Alvalade.
Mahrez quickly opened the scoring (0-1, 7th).
Bernardo Silva scored a double.
Perfect evening for the Skyblues.
