TEN OUT OF TEN, CITY
Otamendi off but Pep’s 10 men storm back in dramatic fashion to stun Schalke
LEROY SANE and Raheem Sterling left Schalke stunned on a controversial but thrilling night for Manchester City in Germany.
The City pair’s late strikes saw 10-man Blues emerge as unlikely winners after seemingly heading to defeat.
Sane buried a free-kick against his former club from 25 yards after 85 minutes to draw City level in a match that looked to have slipped from their grasp.
Then Sterling won it with a solo effort with time almost up.
Yet for much of the game, after conceding two penalties to former Spurs star Nabil Bentaleb, it looked as though they would be flying back to Manchester contemplating a chastening loss.
This was a breathless first leg in which a first-half mix-up saw Sergio Aguero put City in front, a VAR intervention saw Nicolas Otamendi adjudged to have handled for Bentaleb to score from the spot.
When Fernandinho gave away another for manhandling Salif Sane at a free- kick it looked like Pep Guardiola was staring down the barrel of a first Champions league defeat on German soil.
In the second half Otamendi was given a second yellow meaning both he and Fernandinho, who was also booked, would miss the return.
However, with five minutes to go, Sane fired a rocket in from outside the box and Sterling grabbed the winner with the clock on 90 minutes.
City had put the German side under the cosh right from the start, and took the lead after 18 minutes with a little help from their hosts.
With Mark Uth flat out following a robust but legal challenge from Aymeric Laporte, the ball found its way via a back pass to Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann. Undecided as to whether to hoof it out so his team-mate could receive attention, he instead passed it to Salif Sane just on the edge of the area. The defender was dispossessed by a quick-thinking David Silva who squared the ball to Aguero to slot home.
At that stage there was no sign of the drama to come. City were in control. Indeed they could have had at least three before the break.
Yet a couple of contentious decisions turned the match on its head before the break.
Daniel Caligiuri had been thoroughly tormented by
Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan but it was his shot from just outside the area on 35 minutes which struck Otamendi’s arm as he tried to block it.
Referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande initially pointed to a corner but with the Schalke players surrounding him, he eventually decided to consult VAR.
After a three-minute delay he awarded a penalty, Bentaleb keeping his cool to slot home.
Right on half-time Schalke had another when Fernandinho manhandled Sane at a free-kick, his arms around the Schalke man’s hips clearly enough to award a second spot-kick which Bentaleb again slotted home.
If City were stunned a further blow was that both of their miscreants were booked, Otamendi for arguing and Fernandinho for the foul.
The controversial end to the half certainly set the tie alight but things got worse not better for City.
Otamendi had been simmering since his firsthalf handball and gave the impression the VAR controversy was still bothering him.
On 68 minutes he tussled with Guido Burgstaller near the halfway line and received a second yellow card, a decision which will have been vindicated in the referee’s mind when the defender told him exactly what he thought.
Guardiola was left with trying to salvage something from the tie on the break.
David Silva was sacrificed in order to get Vincent Kompany on at centreback, and City appeared to lose their momentum.
But this side is always capable of scoring, and Sane’s thunderbolt pulled them level before Sterling won it at the death.