Manchester City flex muscles with rampant win at Shakhtar

KHARKIV, Ukraine, (Reuters) - Manchester City began to show their credentials like proper Champions League heavyweights when they became the first English team to win at Shakhtar Donetsk in European competition with a handsome 3-0 success in their Group F match yesterday.

City, who false-started in the campaign with their only loss of the season at home to Olympique Lyonnais, were a wholly different proposition, waltzing to victory with goals from David Silva, Aymeric Laporte and substitute Bernardo Silva.

What looked a potentially difficult 1,700-mile visit to the Ukrainian champions, who had beaten Pep Guardiola’s men in the group stages last year, was made to look effortlessly routine as the dazzling David Silva orchestrated their dominance.

City could easily have scored more goals but the win put the English champions top of the group on six points, a point clear of Lyon, who drew 3-3 at a Hoffenheim team who have two points along with bottom-placed Shakhtar.

City manager Pep Guardiola suggested on the eve of the match that the club may still lack the special passion for the competition that could drive them to European glory but his team of all talents demonstrated they certainly have the quality.

Shakhtar had never been beaten by English visitors in seven home matches, leaving Guardiola to appreciate the magnitude of the win. “Zero-three here,” he said, “It’s an amazing result.

“We’ve recovered with these two results in Germany (a win at Hoffenheim) and here. After the defeat against Lyon, it’s in our hands again and winning our games at home will be the next stage.”