SILVA BULLET IS SO DEADLY

THEY left it late but Man City’s Champions League campaign is up and running.

With three minutes left, they were being held by tournament debutants Hoffenheim and staring at the prospect of a solitary point after two games in arguably the easiest group in the competition.

But David Silva, City’s outstanding performer as he has been on so many occasions, plundered a winner after capitalising on a defensive error by Stefan Posch.

The Spaniard also played a key role in Sergio Aguero’s equaliser after Ishak Belfodil’s shock quick-fire opener.

Pep Guardiola said: “Silva is one of the best players I have trained in my life. I am a lucky guy to have many of them who are top players at Barcelona and Bayern and he is in that list.

“After a minute we conceded a goal, it is not easy. The players deserve credit because we fought against everything.”

Guardiola was less than

DAVID McDONNELL

enamoured with the display of ref Damir Skomina who failed to award City a clear penalty when Leroy Sane was brought down by Hoffenheim keeper Oliver Baumann.

At the final whistle, he shouted in the face of the fourth official Grega Kordez but was forced to bite his tongue afterwards for fear of being hit with a fresh touchline ban. Desperate to bounce back from the Lyon loss, Guardiola had star Sergio Aguero led the attack despite concerns over a foot injury.

But it was Hoffenheim who made the perfect start by scoring after just 44 seconds.

City’s