Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to key eventsSkip to navigation

Second-half goals from Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling helped Manchester City past opponents who tested them in the first half

 Updated 
Tue 26 Sep 2017 17.14 EDTFirst published on Tue 26 Sep 2017 13.35 EDT
Kevin de Bruyne (No17) celebrates scoring Manchester City’s opening goal.
Kevin de Bruyne (No17) celebrates scoring Manchester City’s opening goal. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Kevin de Bruyne (No17) celebrates scoring Manchester City’s opening goal. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

Live feed

Key events

Full-time: City 2-0 Shakhtar

That’s an impressive win for City against a fine team who gave them a stiff test. After an even first half City shifted into a higher gear in the second period and cruised to victory. The margin should have been bigger but they’re looking good in the group.

GOAL! City 2-0 Shakhtar (Sterling 89)

Splendid by Sterling! Wide on the right wing he released Bernardo Silva and then sprinted into the box. Silva had the coolness to wait before playing a low pass from the right to Sterling, who, near the penalty spot, slams the ball into the net via the underside of the bar.

Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring their second to seal the win. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Share
Updated at 

87 min: A superb pass by Gundogan into the path of Sane. The winger dashes into the box and could centre for Bernardo Silva, who’s pleading for a pass eight yards from goal. But Sane gets greedy, beats one defender and then tries to sidestep another. He’s run into traffic at the edge of the six-yard box and his shot is smothered. Silva turns away in disgust. City should really be out of sight by now.

86 min: Sane, at the left-hand corner of the City box, tries to slalom his way past Butko. the does enough to create space for a shot, but lashes wide.

82 min: Gundogan cuts out a pass on the edge of his own area and then lopes 60 yards forward. He puts in Aguero, who tries to dupe the last defender by feinting one way and then the other. But, like Pyatov for the penalty, the defender isn’t buying Aguero’s tricks. Shot blocked. It’s like Aguero’s power have evaporated ever since he got within a goal of Eric Brook’s record.

Share
Updated at 

City substitution: Having thoroughly checked the stadium to make sure Claudio Yacob isn’t on the premises, Guardiola throws on Gundogan. Off trots Silva to a deserved ovation.

79 min:De Bruyne bursts from midfield and tries to release Aguero, but the Argentinian had stopped his run, thinking De Bruyne was going to put through Sterling instead.

76 min: Five Shakhtar players converge on the ref to demand a penalty after Stones inadvertently cuts out a cross with his arm! The official evidently decides that Stones was too close to get out of the way - about three yards - but Shakhtar complain that his arm at no business being outstretched, which it was because he was pointing to where he wanted Walker to cover.

73 min: City have missed some glaring chances in this half - especially that Sterling one and Aguero’s spotkick -, will they be punished with a sucker punch?

Aguero's penalty saved!

That was almost Zaza-esque! Aguero approached the ball with baby steps, hoping the keeper would dive one way so he could go the other. But the keeper faced him down, and Aguero’s shot wasn’t close to the corner so Pyatov was able to push it away. Eric Brook would have scored that.

Sergio Aguero has his penalty saved by Shakhtar Donetsk’s Andriy Pyatov. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Share
Updated at 

Penalty to City!

Sane goes down under a flimsy challenge by Ordets. That didn’t look like a foul on second inspection, but you can see why the ref thought it was on the first.

Shakhtar Donetsk’s Ivan Ordets challenges Leroy Sane and a penalty is given. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Share
Updated at 

69 min: Walker tucks a lovely 20-yard pass down the right wing. De Bruyne, on the run, produces another perfect delivery, obliging Sterling to score from six yards. But Sterling loses his composure, or something, and shanks wide from six yards! How can such a super player finish so badly so often?

68 min: Shakhtar launch a counter-attack down the left. The rapid Ismaily charges past Walker and curls over a dangerous cross, just beyond Ferrerya, who couldn’t quite keep up with his speedy team-mate.

67 min: De Bruyne curls a low freekick into the box from the left. Otamendi tries to flick it towards goal from eight yards but fails to get a true touch.

Share
Updated at 

64 min: City are bossing this now; Shakhtar seem to have punched themselves out in the first half and are now struggling to match the hosts’ pace. But they’ll not give up hope so long as City only have a one-goal lead.

62 min: The camera picks out Benjamin Mendy making his way to a seat in the crowd, on crutches. We’ll get news of his injury status in the coming days: all we can say for sure at this stage is that he is the third player this season to be struck down moments after I brought him into my fantasy team.

Share
Updated at 

61 min: Aguero skedaddles into the box at the left-hand corner. But his control abandons him, so a grateful defender whacks the ball out of play.

58 min: City are starting to thrum. They’re lording it in possession terms now. Are Shakhtar waiting for a second wind or have they folded?

56 min: A sublime chipped pass by Silva! On the run, he lifted the ball over the defence from 25 yards out and dropped it into the path of Aguero, who volleyed it at goal from seven yards. But straight at Pyatov, who beats it away!

54 min: Jesus gets a consoling word for Guardiola on the sideline: it’s nice to see a player so depressed at being taken off. It’s also nice to see Sterling on the pitch: he’s been brilliant so far this season.

City substitution: Sterling on, Jesus off. The Brazilian looks downcast, seemingly due to disappointment rather than injury.

52 min: Another good tackle by Delph, this time on Talson, who was excellent in the first half but hasn’t been able to pull so many strings in this one. Delph has defended very well and only been exposed when team-mates have left him outnumbered.

50 min: Butko hares past Delph down the right and collects a pass, then blasts the ball into the danger zone. Otamendi stretches out a leg to clear it at the near post.

De Bruyne celebrates after his sublime goal. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters
Share
Updated at 

GOAL! City 1-0 Shakhtar (De Bruyne 48)

Marlos plays a slack pass in midfield, straight to De Bruyne, who nudges it forward to Silva. The Spaniard scurries forward, probes a little and then feeds De Bruyne, who’s about 25 yards out, a little to the right. He takes one touch to set himself up and then sweeps a curler into the top corner!

Kevin De Bruyne curls the ball into the top corner to open the scoring. Photograph: Philip Oldham/BPI/Rex/Shutterstock
Share
Updated at 

47 min: Talson gobbles up a weak clearance by Stones. Players stream forward to provide the Brazilian with options for the pass. He slips it wide to an overlapper, but Delph slides in with a fine tackle to snuf out the trouble.

Half-time: City 0-0 Shakhtar

Guadiola was not wrong: this is a proper test for City. So far they’re just about holding their own against a very tenacious and slick side, who’ve had slightly better possession and created some clear opportunities. City have posed threats, too, of course, but nowhere near as many as they’ve been used to this season. How will City react to this unfamiliar challenge?

Share
Updated at 

44 min: Talson flies down the left and then slips the ball through to the overlapping Ismaily, who’s fast enough to stay ahead of Walker before cracking a low cross into the danger area. Stones clears awkwardly.

Most viewed

Most viewed