MAN CITY 7, SCHALKE 0
(City won 10-2 on aggregate)
Manchester City sent out a powerful message to the rest of Europe this may be the year they join the elite and become Champions League winners.
The ruthless way City dismantled and destroyed an admittedly struggling German Bundesliga team to claim a place in the last eight provided compelling evidence they will take some stopping.
It might have been even more resounding as Leroy Sane had a goal chalked out through VAR and Sergio Aguero struck an upright.
It didn’t matter as City had six different goalscorers on a night when some of their football was breathtaking.
Aguero netted the first two goals, which effectively sealed victory with City 5-2 ahead on aggregate, and he was followed on to the scoresheet by Sane, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva along with substitutes Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus.
It was the biggest win by an English side in the knockout phase of the Champions League and 7-0 was the heaviest loss by a German club.
Embed from Getty ImagesManager Pep Guardiola was “delighted” to be in the quarter finals for only the third time in the club’s history.
He also dampened expectations with many believing this could be the year they win the Champions League.
“The club has only once before reached the semi finals and we will be trying to achieve that for the second time in the club’s history,” he explained.
Guardiola added the competition is “not fair” and “incredibly tough” pointing to the last 16 exits of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid who will regard being knocked out as being disastrous for Real and disappointing for Atletico.
Describing being “incredibly happy” to be in the quarter finals, Guardiola added it was great for English football to have three, possibly four teams, in the quarter finals.
Guardiola explained the reason for City’s tentative start.
“For the first 20/25 minutes we were thinking more about not losing what we achieved in Germany,” he said.
“After we scored, we showed who we are and it was an incredible second half in which we were quick and dynamic.”
Schalke coach Domenico Tedesco described it as the worst experience since he has been at the club.
“Of course it hurts when you lose four, five, six seven but you have to stand up and that is why I am here,” he said.
City made three changes from the side that beat Watford on Saturday, though Nicolas Otamendi’s absence was through suspension.
Injured Vincent Kompany and Riyad Mahrez also lost out as there were recalls from Danilo as a stand-in centre back, Aymeric Laporte and former Schalke player Sane.
It was a far from full-strength City who also had Fernandinho and Kevin De Bruyne ruled out through injury that made the result even more remarkable.
Schalke had former Tottenham player Nabil Bentaleb in their side and ex-City player Rabbi Matondo on the bench.
The Germans pressed high up the pitch from kick off which prevented City from dominating as they usually do.
Indeed, it took until the 14th minute for City to create their first clear-cut chance when Aguero, stealing in at the near post, struck the upright from Raheem Sterling’s low cross.
The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute when City won a penalty after Bernardo Silva was hauled down by Jeffrey Bruma in front of goal as he raced on to Ilkay Gundogan’s through ball.
The decision went to VAR and, after a two minute delay, Aguero scored from the spot, with the cheekiest chip down the centre of the goal. It was the fourth successive Champions League game in which he has scored, something he had never done before.
Schalke had their first goal attempt when Benjamin Stambouli shot narrowly wide after a forward burst.
City doubled the lead with a second goal in three minutes when Sterling’s audacious back heel found Aguero who squeezed a shot through the legs of keeper Ralf Fahrmann from a tight angle.
Again it went to VAR as there was a suspicion Sterling was offside when he received the ball.
City scored a third goal in seven minutes to seal victory as Sane scored against his former employers.
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s long forward ball picked out Sane on the left and he powered into the box before firing low into the far corner. Again it had to be reviewed by VAR, but this time it was a short delay.
City might have added a fourth goal in stoppage time when Sterling’s close-range shot was blocked by the legs of the keeper.
Sane twice went close to adding a fourth goal for City soon after the restart.
First he pulled a shot wide and then he had an effort ruled out by VAR for offside after he raced on to David Silva’s through ball before rounding the keeper to net.
It was only a temporary reprieve as Sterling soon made it 4-0 with yet another VAR review to determine whether he was offside as he ran on to Sane’s squared pass to score.
City made a double switch mid-half when David Silva and Aguero made way for Foden and Jesus.
Bernardo Silva made it 5-0 in the 71st minute and, for the first time, VAR was not needed.
Zinchenko released Sane on the left and he cut the ball back for Bernardo Silva to sweep home from 16 yards. The keeper got a touch but the ball went in off the upright.
Guardiola brought on Fabian Delph for Laporte and for the last 18 minutes he had a makeshift back four of Delph at right back, Kyle Walker and Danilo at centre back and Zinchenko at left back.
It got even better as Foden added a sixth goal with a sublime finish as he ran on to Sane’s through ball and rounded keeper Fahrmann before slotting home from a right angle. It was his first Champions League goal and sixth of the season.
Foden almost made it seven moments later when a piledriver shot was beaten out by the keeper.
City were in seventh heaven when Jesus found the net with six minutes left sweeping home a low shot after a cut back from Bernardo Silva.
While City’s joy was unbridled, It was an embarrassing night for Schalke whose fans turned on the team after the final whistle when the players went over to applaud them.