MANOR BORN TO STUN CITY
Shaktar hero shows Pep’s men must improve
MANCHESTER CITY were shocked by Manor Solomon’s leveller but Pep Guardiola was just relieved to have made it to the last 16 for the seventh year running.
Ilkay Gundogan’s goal together with Dinamo Zagreb’s defeat against Atalanta in Italy ensured City progressed as Group C winners.
But there was little else for the Premier League champions to celebrate on a night when their six-match winning run at home in the compeition was ended by Shakhtar Donetsk.
Boss Guardiola was happy enough and said: “We qualify and we played well in the second half.
“The second half was better than the first. We conceded only a few counter attacks. I’ve played against Shakhtar Donetsk many times and they always have quality players.
“In general, we created chances but the draw was enough in the end.
“Now we’ve one competition already done, and now our focus will be the Premier League, until we arrive in the cups. The target was to qualify.”
City were disappointing and they might have lost as the Ukrainian champions spurned a couple of good chances.
Fernandinho needed to make a goalsaving block to deny Tete after Ederson came out of his area and missed his clearance.
Gundogan gave City the lead in 56 minutes, finishing after great work by Gabriel Jesus.
But they were pegged back when Shakhtar substitute Solomon equalised.
Guardiola, however, will be pleased to have qualified with a game to spare and he can rest some of his big names for their last group game in Zagreb in a fortnight’s time.
Goal hero Gundogan said: “Gabby [ Jesus] kept the ball for me and then it was not too difficult to score.
“Unfortunately we got a draw but we qualify as group winners which is the most important thing. We knew this game would be tough.”