Manchester City qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals after drawing goalless at their stadium against Sporting Lisbon, thanks to a 5-0 victory in the first leg in Portugal.
In a match in which they dominated, but without exhibiting the usual offensive play, Pep Guardiola’s team managed to score a goal at the start of the second half, by Gabriel Jesús, but it was annulled for offside by the Brazilian striker.
Despite leaving the tie decided in the first leg, Guardiola did not want to take risks and only left three regular starters on the bench, the Belgian Kevin de Bruyne, the Algerian Riyad Mahrez and the Spanish Rodri.
The other change was forced: the Portuguese winger Joao Cancelo, sick, left his position to the young Conrad Egan-Riley, who at 19 years old made his debut in a European match.
City began dominating, but without imprinting their usual speed on their game, thus facilitating the defensive work of the Portuguese, who were not much encouraged to look for the goal defended by the Brazilian Ederson Moraes.
Little by little, Guardiola’s team increased its revolutions and in the 24th minute the first chance of scoring came, in a shot by Phil Foden that the Spanish goalkeeper Antonio Adán took out with his fists.
The other clear chance that City had before the break was Raheem Sterling’s one-on-one with Adán that the Spanish goalkeeper saved with one hand (38).
The entry onto the pitch of Mahrez, one of City’s fittest players, was noticeable as soon as the second half began, as an individual play by the Algerian sent Gabriel Jesús into the net, although the referee disallowed the goal from outside game of the Brazilian striker (47).
Gabriel Jesus tried again shortly after, but Adán saved in two times (56).
In the last half hour, Sporting seemed to take a step forward to seek a prestigious victory and the Englishman Marcus Edwards had one of the first chances for Sportingin a shot from inside the area that Ederson (60) saved.
In the final stretch, Guardiola allowed himself the luxury of exchanging Ederson for Scott Carson, not because of the Brazilian’s injury, but to give the 36-year-old veteran goalkeeper the chance to make his Champions League debut.
And Carson responded by throwing himself at Paulinho’s feet to save the Portuguese striker’s goal (76).
Carson could not celebrate his debut in the Champions League with a victory, but he did with City qualifying for the quarterfinals in a competition in which he is the current runner-up.
Manchester City vs. Sporting – Minute by minute
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Source: Eluniverso
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