SCHALKE 04 2, MANCHESTER CITY 3
VAR played a big part in Manchester City’s Champions League game against Schalke 04 in Germany but City still managed to win the game with 2 late goals after conceding 2 penalties and losing Nicolas Otamendi to a red card.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe pitch side monitor that referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande would have used to assess two penalty incidents was broken by the time he came to assess Schalke’s penalty claims towards the end of the first half.
City had gone a goal up after 18 minutes through Sergio Aguero but VAR decisions contributed to the home side taking a shock 2-1 lead just before half time – and Grande had to rely on the word from the VAR officials to give both penalties.
City were reduced to ten men after 68 minutes when Nicolas Otamendi was sent off for a second yellow card – the first time he had received his marching orders in 161 appearances for City.
Leroy Sane came on for Aguero and his 85th minute free kick put City back on level terms before Raheem Sterling dramatically won it in the last minute to give battling City a massive boost for the coming title race.
Schalke will need to score twice at the Etihad to trouble City in the return leg but the Citizens will have to make do without Otamendi and Fernandinho who also collected a booking.
Pep Guardiola made seven changes from the side that beat Newport County in the FA Cup at the weekend.
City used Fernandinho as a central defender with John Stones ruled out with a groin issue.
Sergio Aguero came in to the starting line-up with Gabriel Jesus not in the match day squad following a hamstring issue after the Newport game.
Although Stones and Jesus missed out, Danilo, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, and Leroy Sane were named on the bench.
Coming into the side with Aguero were Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Raheem Sterling.
Schalke fielded former City defender Matija Nastasic and had former EDS player Rabbi Matondo in the bench while familiar names in the starting lineup included ex-Spurs midfielder Nabil Bentaleb and ex-Chelsea defender Jeffrey Bruma.
Manchester City give away 2 penalties and a red card but still come out with a win against Bundesliga strugglers Schalke 04 in the Champions League
And City started racking up the chances from the start with Aguero’s header tipped over by Ralf Fahrmann.
Schalke were vulnerable to the flighted ball and defended deep to try and close the spaces to City.
They conceded space and a rack full of corners in 19 terrified minutes before City went 1-0 up after David Silva nicked the ball off Salif Sane after Fahrmann tried to pass the ball out to him and squared for Aguero to score his 24th goal of the season – his 10th goal in his last 7 appearances.
There was more VAR controversy after over half an hour of City dominance when Daniel Caligiuri’s shot was adjudged to have hit Nicolas Otamendi’s arm.
After a lengthy delay a spot kick was awarded and Otamendi was booked – ruling him out of the second leg.
Bentaleb stepped up and sent Ederson the wrong way to put the home side back on level terms but they were ahead five minutes later after another penalty was awarded.
This time it was Fernandinho who was punished for a clumsy trip on Sane – and he will also miss the second leg after collecting a booking.
Bentaleb sent his spot kick into the opposite corner despite Ederson getting a hand to it.
City pushed hard in the second half, with Aguero tackled by former team mate Nastasic, who was having a good night, as he tried to get a shot away.
Chances by Aguero and Bernardo Silva went begging, and the Portuguese had a penalty appeal turned down
Otamendi was sent off for a foul on Guido Burgstaller after 68 minutes and Guardiola reacted immediately – sending Vincent Kompany on for David Silva after an 11 match absence due to injury.
A De Bruyne free kick was deflected wide and Leroy Sane was introduced for the last 12 minutes for Aguero, who was in danger of missing the return leg with a booking.
And Leroy Sane fired a 27 yard free kick into the top corner past the diving Fahrmann to level it against his former club with 5 minutes to go – his 13th goal of the season.
Oleksandr Zinchenko was City’s final change as he replaced De Bruyne but there was even more drama when Raheem Sterling raced onto Ederson’s long punt, shrugging off Bastian Oczipka before slotting past Fahrmann in the bottom corner to win a dramatic game with his 15th goal of the season.
GOALS – Schalke 04 2, Manchester City 3 (Champions League)
Schalke 04 0, Man City 1: 18. Sergio Aguero opens the scoring after converting David Silva’s deft cross after he won the ball off Salif Sane after Ralf Fahrmann bungled an attempt to play it out from the back. The goal was confirmed after VAR checked it.
Schalke 04 1, Man City 1: 38. Nabil Bentaleb sent Ederson the wrong way with his spot kick – sent to the Brazilian’s left side – after a contentious VAR decision saw Schalke awarded a penalty for handball by Nicolas Otamendi who appeared to be moving his arm away from the ball.
Schalke 04 2, Man City 1: 45. Nabil Bentaleb went the other way with his next spot kick to beat Ederson who got a hand on it but couldn’t keep the ball out after a clumsy challenge by Fernandinho on Salif Sane as he tracked the defender going into the area.
Schalke 04 2, Man City 2: 85. Leroy Sane whips in a stunning free 27 yard free kick.
Schalke 04 2, Man City 3: 90. Raheem Sterling with the late winner after latching onto a launched Ederson ball and shrugging off Bastian Oczipka before side footing the ball into the corner of the net.
MATCH STATS – Schalke 04 2, Manchester City 3 (Champions League)
Schalke 04: Fahrmann, Caliguiri, Bruma, Sane, Nastastic, Oczipa, McKennie (Skrzybski 78), Serdar, Bentabeb, Mendyl, Uth (Harit 87)
Schalke 04 Subs not used: Nubel, Rudy, Matondo, Kutucu
Booked: Uth, Sane, Burgstaller
Goals: Bentaleb 38 pen, 45 pen
Man City: Ederson, Laporte, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Walker, Gundogan, De Bruyne (Zinchenko 87), David Silva (Kompany 70), Sterling, Bernardo Silva, Aguero (Sane 78)
Man City Subs not used: Muric, Danilo, Mahrez, Foden
Booked: Otamendi, Fernandinho, Ederson
Sent Off: Otamendi 68 (Second Booking)
Goals: Aguero 18, Sane 85, Sterling 90
Attendance 54,417