{"id":75780,"date":"2022-02-16T19:32:54","date_gmt":"2022-02-16T19:32:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=75780"},"modified":"2022-02-16T19:32:54","modified_gmt":"2022-02-16T19:32:54","slug":"man-city-on-brink-of-champions-league-quarters-after-sporting-rout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=75780","title":{"rendered":"Man City on brink of Champions League quarters after Sporting rout"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Sports Desk:<\/strong> Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City still have room for improvement after Bernardo Silva's brace inspired a masterful 5-0 rout of Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League last 16 first leg on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Guardiola's side produced a swaggering display at the Jose Alvalade Stadium to all but secure their quarter-final place before the second leg in Manchester on March 9.<\/p>\n

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Riyad Mahrez opened the scoring and Silva bagged the second before Phil Foden made it three by the 32nd minute.<\/p>\n

With City at their imperious best, Portugal forward Silva struck again on his return to his homeland and Raheem Sterling's gem rounded off the demolition after the interval.<\/p>\n

City are unbeaten in their last 13 games in all competition, a hot streak that now includes 12 wins.<\/p>\n

Sterner tests will await City later in the competition but this was a significant statement of intent that will have been heard all around Europe.<\/p>\n

Determined to keep his players grounded, Guardiola said: “The difference between the two teams is not 5-0 but we were so clinical. We punished them.<\/p>\n

“We had some simple passes that we lost. Against the top sides in Europe we would be punished.<\/p>\n

“We have one more game to be in the quarter-finals and this is what you want. The players know me and the way we work that we can do better.<\/p>\n

“I'm incredibly happy, please don't misunderstand me, but we can do better.”<\/p>\n

With City nine points clear at the top of the Premier League in their pursuit of a fourth title in five years, there is no questioning Guardiola's domestic preeminence.<\/p>\n

But Champions League success has been harder to come by.<\/p>\n

Guardiola insisted this week that critics of his flawed European record over the last decade are “jealous” of his achievements.<\/p>\n

Yet the Spaniard hasn't won the Champions League since 2011 with Barcelona, while City are still waiting to lift the trophy for the first time.<\/p>\n

City's Champions League history is littered with unexpectedly premature exits, but they came painfully close last season, losing 1-0 to Chelsea in the final in Porto.<\/p>\n

Back on Portuguese soil to launch a knockout stage campaign they hope will climax with silverware in the final in Saint Peterburg, City's sublime performance underlined their desire to go one better this time.<\/p>\n

– Sumptuous City –<\/p>\n

Sporting's fans did their best to make it a hostile evening, loudly jeering Silva, Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo for their spells with arch rivals Benfica.<\/p>\n

But City took just seven minutes to silence the ear-splitting din with a sumptuous move.<\/p>\n

Silva found Foden in the Sporting area and his shot was pushed out by Antonio Adan to Kevin De Bruyne, who scooped it back into the six-yard box for Mahrez to slot into the empty net.<\/p>\n

Initially disallowed for offside, it took a lengthy VAR check before Mahrez could celebrate his 10th goal in his last 11 Champions League appearance.<\/p>\n

City were in the groove and Silva produced a moment of magic in the 17th minute.<\/p>\n

When Rodri's header dropped in the Sporting area, the hosts were too slow to react and Silva pounced with a blistering half-volley that flashed in off the underside of the crossbar.<\/p>\n

Guardiola's team were so slick that even Sporting's supporters were moved to applaud after the visitors' third goal.<\/p>\n

Mahrez twisted and turned on the right flank before whipping in a low cross that evaded Sporting's flailing defence, allowing Foden to finish with ease on his 150th City appearance.<\/p>\n

City weren't done yet and the fourth goal arrived in the 44th minute.<\/p>\n

Cancelo's lofted pass picked out Sterling's run into the Sporting area and his cutback was dispatched by Silva via a deflection.<\/p>\n

Silva was denied a hat-trick five minutes into the second half when his header was ruled out for offside.<\/p>\n

But Sterling put the seal on City's masterclass in the 58th minute, taking aim from 20 yards and curling a superb strike into the far corner.<\/p>\n

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Sports Desk: Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City still have room for improvement after Bernardo Silva’s brace inspired a masterful 5-0 rout of Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League last 16 first leg on Tuesday. Guardiola’s side produced a swaggering display at the Jose Alvalade Stadium to all but secure their quarter-final place before the second […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":75781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n