MAN CITY 6, FC SHAKHTAR DONETSK 0
Manchester City pulled off their biggest-ever victory in Europe with a six-goal demolition of Shakhtar Donetsk.
And Paulo Fonseca, manager of the Ukrainian side, described City as a “machine” believing they can win the Champions League.
Fonseca said: “City are in a different league and we weren’t near them. They can go far. They are a machine, an amazing team and they can win the Champions League.”
It was the second time in three days that City scored six goals following Sunday’s demolition of Southampton.
Gabriel Jesus scored a hat-trick while David Silva, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez also found the net.
And it was a display that delighted City manager Pep Guardiola.
He said: “I am really happy. It was an incredible performance, the way we attacked and the way we defended.
“We have not qualified for the next stage so we have to maintain that level.”
Guardiola added what pleased him most was how “humble” his team is without the ball and the commitment to regain it.
He explained he was mindful how quickly things can change pointing to the defeat at home to Lyon and conceding a first-minute goal at Hoffenheim.
“We weren’t in a good position then so we have to keep focused on what we do,” he said.
City had qualified until Hoffenheim recovered from a 2-0 deficit to draw against Lyon as they still need one point to reach the knockout phase.
And after this display it was hard to believe City had lost their last three home Champions League games.
City made three changes from the side that started against Southampton on Sunday.
Sergio Aguero, Leroy Sane and Benjamin Mendy were taken out of the firing line as Jesus, Mahrez and Oleksandr Zinchenko won recalls.
Shakhtar had Brazilian Taison back after injury.
After an uneventful opening, City went ahead in the 13th minute with their first meaningful chance of the game as David Silva found the net.
Bernardo Silva and Mahrez linked down the right and the latter twisted and turned to reach the by-line before crossing for David Silva to slot home from five yards, his sixth goal of the season.
City doubled their lead in the 24th minute through a controversial penalty as replays showed Raheem Sterling clearly dived.
The winger went down spectacularly, but the re-runs showed no contact from Mykola Matviyenko who, along with keeper Andriy Pyatov, reacted with incredulity.
Replays clearly showed Sterling stubbed his toe into the ground as he prepared to shoot with Matviyenko well behind him.
Fonseca described it as a “ridiculous decision”, though it was not an excuse for the heavy defeat.
And even Guardiola admitted it was not a spot kick.
Jesus assumed penalty-taking duties following Mahrez’s miss at Liverpool and he confidently slotted home from 12 yards.
Moments later Jesus found himself clean through only to delay shooting as a defender got back to clear.
City came close to a third goal just before the break when Bernardo Silva’s shot was deflected for a corner.
But within three minutes of the restart it was 3-0 after a fabulous goal from Sterling.
He raced on to a though ball by Zinchenko, beat two opponents and bent in a delightful shot from the edge of the box, his seventh goal of the season.
Sterling had claims for a second penalty rejected, but this was more valid than the initial one as Matviyenko appeared to wrestle the winger to the ground.
David Silva also tumbled, but Hungarian referee Victor Kassai was unmoved.
City made their first change after an hour when Kyle Walker made way for Brazilian Danilo.
David Silva won City a second penalty with 19 minutes left when he was upended by Taras Stepanenko and Jesus again obliged from the spot.
That signalled a rest for David Silva who was replaced by the fit-again Ilkay Gundogan.
Mahrez almost made it five after bursting clear on the right before firing a shot just wide of the far post.
Guardiola’s third and final change saw Fernandinho given a breather as Fabian Delph was given a 14-minute runout.
Shakhtar’s first chance of note came in the 78th minutes when a well-struck free kick from Yarsoslav Rakits’kyy forced a fine save from Ederson.
City added a fifth goal with six minutes left when Gundogan provided the assist for Mahrez whose angled shot went through keeper Pyatov who will be disappointed not to have kept it out. It was his sixth City goal of the season.
Jesus completed his hat-trick in the third minute of stoppage time with a delightful goal.
Mahrez won the ball in midfield before releasing Jesus who found the net with an exquisite chip as he took his season’s tally from two to five in little more than an hour to lift his confidence that had dipped in a stop-start season when he has not had a good run of games.