City March On In Europe With Club Record Blitzkrieg

Johnny On The Spot: Ferreting Der Spiegel hacks will be crestfallen. Manchester City have stormed forward again in Europe playing exhibition football…

Schalke, roared on by an outstanding support who had flooded town, resplendent in fluorescent green for this game are a big side and they ensured that the English champions endured a low key opening half hour. They pressed City well in obdurate fashion, denying space, looking to get forward at every opportunity. Yet throughout this phase, City stayed patient and disciplined, waiting for an opportunity to get weaving against a limited side who had conceded 14 goals in there last 4 matches.

The breakthrough finally came shortly after the half hour mark. Bernardo was wrestled to the ground for a stonewall penalty and so began yet another excruciating VAR ordeal courtesy of the UEFA ditherers in the tribunes. Remaining ice cool throughout the wait, up stepped Kun Agüero with a  cheeky Panenka style chip that bamboozled the Schalke keeper. And so began a 3 goal, 10 minute blitz in The City Way. the officials opted for a VAR examination of Kun’s 226th in sky blue and another fine strike from Leroy Sané. Raz Sterling had hit a 13 minute hat-trick 3 days ago. The latent power of this City side must never be underestimated.

The nosediving German side had utterly crumbled and their gaffer Domenico Tedesco was left staring at the managerial trapdoor. There was more of the same  in all directions in the second half, Sterling’s clearly onside 19th goal of the season making it a quadruple of refereeing indecision with yet another call for VAR. Clément Turpin was beginning to look a bit of a Dick in his attempts to apparently rob City of  the rout that they have been threatening in the past 3 fixtures. VAR interventions are increasingly bordering on farce with goalscorers unable to celebrate immediately Rugby League style.

Sterling and Agüero now have 46 goals between them across City’s ongoing multiple campaigns. Agüero looking fitter than ever has scored, 13 goals in his last 12 games. Raz 7 in 7. The timing of their impressive form could not be better.

There was a pleasing directness about The Blues once the deadlock was broken. Pep Guardiola had fielded 7 left footers in his XI and some of their football was exquisite. The ball was moved intelligently and the passing second to none. The icing on tonight’s cake saw more goals coming courtesy of Bubble Gum Bernardo, the Stockport Iniesta and the kid from Brazil. This was City’s record score in Europe.

So City, bursting with confidence right through the squad, march on and into the Champions League Quarter finals AND Semi-Finals draw in tandem on Friday ahead of or next trip to South Wales to face Swansea in the FA Cup. Beat the championship ramblers and City’s spectacular season will pause for a much needed breather ahead of a final assault on the history books.

JB’s Man Of The Match: Kun Aguero. Sensational predator.

Manchester City FC 1894				FC Schalke 04
Agüero (35' pen, 38'), Sané (42'), Bernardo Silva (71'), Foden (78'), Gabriel Jesus (84')
31 Ederson				1 Ralf Fährmann
2 Kyle Walker				17 Benjamin Stambouli
3 Danilo				27 Jeffrey Bruma
14 Aymeric Laporte			Delph 72'	26 Salif Sané
35 Oleks Zinchenko				11 Yevhen Konoplyanka
20 Bernardo Silva				2 Weston McKennie			Mendyl 74'
8 Ilkay Gündogan				10 Nabil Bentaleb
21 David Silva			Foden 64'	24 Bastian Oczipka
7 Raheem Sterling				8 Suat Serdar
10 Sergio Agüero			Gabriel Jesus 64'	36 Breel Embolo			Skrzybski 69'
19 Leroy Sané				19 Guido Burgstaller			Teuchert 79'
Substitutes
5 John Stones				3 Hamza Mendyl
18 Fabian Delph				13 Rudy
26 Riyad Mahrez				14 Rabbi Matondo
33 Gabriel Jesus				15 Ahmed Kutucu
47 Philip Foden				22 Steven Skrzybski
49 Aro Muric				23 Cedric Teuchert
77 C Humphreys-Grant				35 Alexander Nübel

Game Statistics
15	Goal attempts	2
11	On Target	1
3	Corners	1
10	Fouls	7
2	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
73	%	27