Ten Man Manchester City Fight Back to Take Advantage In Champions League First Leg
Late Leroy Sané and Raheem Sterling Goals Put City on Right Track for Quarter Final
By: Marc Gingell
Date: 20 February 2019
| FC Schalke 04 | 2 | Manchester City | 3 |
| Nabil Bentaleb 38′ pen, 45′ pen | Sergio Agüero 18′ | ||
| Leroy Sané 85′ | |||
| Att. 54,417 | Raheem Sterling 90′ | ||
| VELTINS-Arena Kick-off 20:00 | Nicolás Otamendi s/o 68′ | ||
Leroy Sané
It’s been said before but I’ll say it again. When a player, returns to face his old club, two things generally happy. The crowd jeer that player and he responds by scoring. Last night former Schalke 04 player Leroy Sané took the stage in the 78th minute and seven minutes later pulled ten-man Manchester City back into the game.
City Fast Out of the Blocks
City pushed their hosts back right from the start and Sergio Agüero, back in the team after being rested against Newport County, fired his team in front after 18 minutes. Schalke keeper Ralf Fährmann tried to find defender Salif Sané on the edge of his box from a goal kick. But the alert David Silva nipped in and set Agüero up with a simple tap in from eight yards.
VAR Brings Schalke Back into the Game
On 33 minutes Daniel Caligiuri cut in from City’s right and fired a left-foot goal-bound shot from just on the edge of City’s box. The ball struck Nicolas Otamendi and flew wide for a corner. Schalke’s 33 year old boss Domenico Tedesco immediately remonstrated with the fourth official and his players surrounded Spanish referee Carlos del Cerro Grande.
Five minutes later, with Otamendi booked which means he misses the second leg, former Spurs midfielder Nabil Bentaleb fired home the VAR penalty. Right on half time, Bentaleb slotted home from the spot again after del Cerro Grande penalised Fernandinho for bringing down Salif Sané.
Otamendi Sees Red
At the start of the second half, City applied more pressure on their opponents but were given a mountain to climb on 68 minutes. Schalke substitute Guido Burgstaller, way out of City’s left and ten yards in City half offering no danger, cut inside and Otamendi took him down. del Cerro Grande produced another yellow card for Otamendi followed by the red.
Late Drama
On 85 minutes Sane stepped up to fire home a stunning left-foot free kick from 25 yards. Power, accuracy, dip and swerve left keeper Fährmann with no chance. Five minutes later Sterling latched on to a long ball from City keeper Ederson, and after defender Bastian Oczipka had slipped, he cut in on goal to finish from not the easiest of angles.
Player Ratings
Schalke: Fahrmann (4), Caliguiri (6), Bruma (6), Sane (8), Nastasic (7), Oczikpa (5), Serdar (6), Bentaleb (8), McKennie (6), Uth (7), Mendyl (5).
Subs: Burgstaller (6), Skrzybski (5), Harit (n/a)
Man City: Ederson (7), Walker (7), Otamendi (4), Fernandinho (5), Laporte (7), David Silva (7), Gundogan (6), De Bruyne (6), Sterling (7), Aguero (6), Bernardo Silva (7).
Subs: Kompany (7), Sane (8), Zinchenko (n/a)
Man of the match: Salif Sane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnlFOIvcSgw
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