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Manchester City thrashed Sporting 5-0 away from home on Tuesday, with Bernardo Silva scoring twice as Pep Guardiola’s side all but clinched a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals (February 15). The English champions were unstoppable as they ripped apart their astonished opponents at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, and the match was effectively over by halftime.
Following seven minutes, Riyad Mahrez opened the score with a goal that was initially called out but was permitted after a VAR review, and after 17 minutes, Silva almost broke the net with a fantastic half-volley to open his account. With Sporting’s defense all over the place, Mahrez set up Phil Foden for a tap-in, and Silva made it 4-0 just before halftime after being picked out by Raheem Sterling. After the break, there was no let-up, with former Benfica star Silva having a hat-trick goal disallowed for offside before Sterling made it 5-0 with a fantastic curler just before the hour mark.
On a night when they made a significant statement in their desire to go one better, the city could have added more to their total. better than last season, when they were beaten in the final by Chelsea.
Silva praised the act, saying, “It’s a very fantastic performance.” “I honestly believe we weren’t good enough to be 4-0 up in the first half. I’m from the other side of town, and I’m Portuguese. My mother is a Sporting fan, and my father is a Benfica fan. It felt extra amazing to score in my hometown. In Manchester, we still have work to do.”
Sporting was supposed to put the Premier League leaders to the test in the Portuguese city, but the hosts were no match for the City juggernaut from the start. As he sent up Mahrez for the opener, Kevin De Bruyne appeared to be offside, and City did not even applaud the linesman’s judgment. Only for VAR to rule that the goal should be upheld.
The Algerian’s goal was his 10th in his past 11 Champions League outings, and Silva shortly added a second off the underside of the crossbar. Sporting’s defending, in their first Champions League last-16 tie in 13 years, was woeful as Foden scored an uncontested third before Silva’s second, via a deflection, added to the misery on the Jose Alvalade terraces.
In the second half, it was a question of how many more City would get, and Sterling scored the game’s only goal, looping into the net from 25 meters for his 150th club goal.
The city also becomes the 14th team in Champions League history to score 200 goals, with more on the way as they continue to dominate at home and abroad.
“I don’t think the players were anxious; Manchester City is the best team in the world, and they destroyed us every time they came into our box,” Sporting coach Ruben Amorim remarked. “The difference was the caliber of the players and the manager.”
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