MAN CITY all but sealed their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a brilliant 5-0 win over Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.
Bernardo Silva, scored twice while Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling notched once each in the thrashing.
- Start time: 8pm GMT
- TV/Live stream: BT Sport 2
- Man City XI: Ederson, Stones, Dias (C), Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Mahrez, Foden, Sterling
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FT: Sporting 0 Man City 5
It will take nothing short of a miracle for Sporting to find a way back in this tie when they travel to The Etihad for the return leg.
We have seen some dramatic comebacks in UEFA Champions League history, anything but City progressing to the next round is surely unthinkable.
A good night at the office for Pep Guardiola and his Man City players.
Pep Talk
Today we were so clinical. We defend well and we punished them on the counter-attacks.
Pep Guardiola
FT: Sporting 0 Man City 5
Bernardo Silva deservedly wins the Man of the Match award.
The Portuguese midfielder was sublime today much as he has been all season and was unlucky not to be taking the match ball home with him.
Some of those Sporting defenders will be waking up in a cold sweat thinking about Bernardo Silva tonight.
FT: Sporting 0 Man City 5
This will answer a lot of City’s critics when it comes to Europe.
People will always question Pep’s reign without the one trophy that has always eluded them.
The performance today shows that the rest of Europe may have something to worry about this season.
FT: Sporting 0 Man City 5
The referee puts the home side out of their misery.
That was a severe case of men against boys at times.
This will give City confidence in their ability to bring some of their league form into Europe.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
90+3. The Portuguese fans will be bitterly disappointed the way their night has turned out after so much hope and wonder.
They have seen an impressive performance by a quality Man City outfit.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
90+1. City have a corner and look to take it short but play breaks down.
As the home fans sing at the top of their voices showing how they are still with their team.
Great support.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
89. This will be City’s first clean sheet of the season if they can keep their Portuguese hots out for the final few minutes.
City continue to drive forward, not giving up on their attacking intent.
Sporting clear the ball seeming more than punch-drunk now.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
87. Great pass from Fernandinho from the centre out to the left wing.
Zinchenko gets on the end of it and looks to whip a cross in.
He manages to get the ball in but cannot find a City shirt.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
85. City pass the ball around on the edge of the Sporting penalty area.
Constantly changing play from one side to the other, patiently waiting for an opening to make that killer pass.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
83. City continue to try and probe their opponents, putting balls in behind the defence, trying to get in behind.
Bernardo Silva is booed and whistled as he comes off for Liam Delap.
Nathan Ake replaces Laporte.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
80. The Sporting coach seems to look as though he wishes he had taken up coaching boxing instead right now.
He looks left and right and still cannot find a white towel to throw onto the pitch to make this stop.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
77. Yellow card for Esgaio for a late challenge on the touchline on Mahrez.
Guardiola won’t be wanting to see challenges flying in on his players now in the late stages of this game.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
75. Ex-Leicester City striker Islam Slimani comes on for Sporting.
His entrance offers something for the home fans to cheer.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
74. Gundogen receives a yellow card as he catches the Sporting player spinning passed him.
The replay shows there was little or no contact.
Nothing comes of the free-kick.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
72. This is the second time Sporting have conceded five goals at home in the Champions League this season.
In their opening group game, Ajax scored five goals in Lisbon.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
69. The roar of the home crowd is definitely more muted now thanks to the dominance of Pep Guardiola’s team here tonight.
Sporting needed a lot to go their way today to stand any chance of a major upset.
City weren’t having any of it.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
67. Still a long time left in this game.
Sporting do not seem to know whether to keep trying to attack in this game or to just try and prevent any more goals going in.
Sporting 0 Man City 5 – Laporte chance
64. The ball is played deep to the back post and headed back towards the centre of the goal.
Laporte sneaks in and has a shot at goal but he flashes it over the bar.
Seemed to kick the player’s boot as he got that effort away.
Ouch.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
63. Zinchenko receives the ball a long way out and looks to have a shot.
The ball deflects off the Sporting player for a corner.
Sporting 0 Man City 5 – City sub
61. Zinchenko and Gundogen join the game with Foden and Stones leaving the pitch.
Perfect chance for Pep to give some players a rest.
Sporting 0 Man City 5
59. That really was a great strike from Sterling.
He almost passed it into the top corner there.
Fantastic.
Goal – Man City 5-0 up!
Raheem Sterling with a sublime finish from outside the box.
Sporting 0 Man City 4
54. De Bruyne weights a cross in from the right-hand side.
Rodri heads it back across the box but the referee blows his whistle and awards Sporting the free-kick.
The replay shows a defender bundled over by Laporte.
Sporting 0 Man City 4
52. City attack down the left with Sterling.
As he looks to beat his man he is disposed to muted cheers from the home fans.
No sooner do they get a challenge in but they lose the ball again and give possession back to City.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
