HOFFENHEIM

LEROY SANE remains one of the few big guns yet to be tied down to a new contract at Manchester City.

But on the evidence of last night both the club and player would be well advised to pen to paper as a matter of urgency.

Sane certainly has not played better this season – one he started in indifferent form and one which saw him dropped by City boss Pep Guardiola.

Yet his sparkling performance lit up City’s final group game against Hoffenheim with two goals – the first a blistering free-kick from distance and the second the opening and closing touches of a mesmerising move.

It confirmed first place in Group F and a date with either Atletico Madrid, Schalke, Ajax or Roma when the competition resumes next February.

City deserved the points at the end of a game in which they fell behind early to a Andrej Kramaric penalty and they were dragged home by an irresistible performance from Sane, who scored his sixth and seventh goals of the campaign.

Yet he was not the only one to shine, with Gabriel Jesus deserving of a goal at the end of a night of great industry and not much luck.

Even with the obligatory derision reserved for the Champions League anthem – this was the first match at home since UEFA rattled their sabres again over Financial Fair Play – the night carried a low-key feel to start with.

Barring catastrophic defeat here against Hoffenheim City had already all but secured top spot, which was just as well as Guardiola was forced to make five changes from the defeat at Chelsea due to injuries. It meant a third Champions