Man City 7, Schalke 04 0 (10-2 on aggregate) – UEFA Champions League
VAR delays could unsettle crowds
The time taken to reach some of the decisions on the night was tedious to many in the Etihad Stadium. If VAR in the Premier League is going to be like this then there will have to patience in English crowds.
There were significant delays again for VAR checks on all three of City’s first half goals.
The first was to check the varacity of the penalty and the second was to check for offside against Raheem Sterling from Gundogan’s long pass and then again on Sane when Zinchenko put him through.
Leroy Sane rounded Fahrmann and scored after another defence splitting pass from David Silva but VAR ruled it out for a marginal offside after 53 minutes.
Sane then crossed for Sterling to score three minutes later only for, yes, another VAR delay to confirm that the England winger was not offside.
Clinical City overcome high pressing Schalke to put the tie beyond them.
Manchester City used balls over the top from Ilkay Gundogan to open deep lying Schalke up and once they had built up an unassailable lead they destroyed the Germans with clinical finishing down their flanks in the second half as the visitors tired.
PLAYER RATINGS – Man City 7, Schalke 04 0 (10-2 on aggregate) – UEFA Champions League
Ederson: 7. Not much to do but gave City confidence from the back.
Danilo: 7. In an unfamiliar centre half berth. Did well.
Kyle Walker: 7. Spent a lot of time attacking. Switched to centre half with the game won.
Aymeric Laporte: 7. A gentle stroll for the defender but got a high boot to the shoulder from Salif Sane in the second half before being taken off.
Oleksandr Zinchenko: 8. The Ukraine international slipped through Leroy Sane for City’s third goal. Not afraid of a challenge and had another all round good performance.
Bernardo Silva: 9. Buzzed around in midfield filling in for Kevin De Bruyne. Scored City’s 5th before finding Gabriel Jesus for City’s 7th.
Ilkay Gundogan: 8. Showed great passing range to open up high pressing Schalke early and throughout the game.
David Silva: 8. Targeted by Schalke as he tried to find the holes in their tight defensive line. He got joy later as Schalke tired – picking off the Germans with ease – before being rested.
Raheem Sterling: 10. Early shot, working hard all over the pitch, even in defensive areas. Was hauled down for Sergio Aguero’s penalty and created Aguero’s second with a backheel before killing the tie off in the second half with a goal of his own.
Sergio Aguero: 9. Hit the post with a sweeping early effort and had a header saved. Cheeky Panenka penalty to open the scoring and then nutmegged Ralf Fahrmann to score his second after. Taken off for a rest.
Leroy Sane: 10. Was having a quiet night until Zinchenko slipped him though for City’s third goal. He had a goal ruled out for offside but set up Sterling for his goal three minutes later. Also provided goals for Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva.
Phil Foden (on for David Silva 64): 7. Rounded Fahrmann to score and made the German keeper save from a rocket from the edge of the area.
Gabriel Jesus (on for Sergio Aguero, 64): 7. Got the ball trapped under his feet when Raheem Sterling put him through. Hesitated when put through by Zinchenko and carved out a half chance. Drilled in City’s 7th goal after Bernardo Silva’s cut back.
Fabian Delph (on for Aymeric Laporte, 72): 6. On to give Laporte a rest after his injury layoff – played right back in a back 4 that included 2 full backs and two midfielders.
GOALS – Man City 7, Schalke 04 0 (10-2 on aggregate) – UEFA Champions League
Man City 1, Shalke 04 0: 36. Sergio Aguero with a cheeky penalty – a Panenka chipped down the middle as the ‘keeper dived to his left after Raheem Sterling was hauled down by Jeffrey Bruma.
Man City 2, Shalke 04 0: 38. Raheem Sterling’s backheel released Sergio Aguero who squeezed his shot through Ralf Fahrmann’s legs with a low shot, after Ilkay Gundogan’s 1-2 with Aguero allowed the German to release Sterling down the right flank.
Man City 3, Schalke 04 0: 42. Leroy Sane drilled City into a 3-0 lead from 8 yards out wide on the left after Oleksandr Zinchenko slipped him through on the left flank.
Man City 4, Schalke 04 0: 56. David Silva slipped in Leroy Sane who swept the ball across the 18 yard box for Raheem Sterling to score from the edge of the area.
Man City 5, Schalke 04 0: 71. Bernardo Silva drilled in from 16 yards and the ball flew in, despite a touch from Ralf Fahrmann, after Zinchenko released Leroy Sane down the left and his cutback found the midfielder in plenty of space.
Man City 6, Schalke 04: 0: 77. Phil Foden swept in his first Champions League goal after being released by Leroy Sane.
Man City 7, Schalke 04 0: 84. Gabriel Jesus lashed in City’s 7th from the edge of the area after Bernardo Silva cut back from the right.
MATCH STATS – Man City 7, Schalke 04 0 (10-2 on aggregate) – UEFA Champions League
Man City: Ederson, Danilo, Walker, Laporte (Delph 72), Zinchenko, Bernardo Silva, Gundogan, David Silva (C) (Foden 64), Sterling, Aguero (Jesus 64), Sane
Man City Subs not used: Muric, Stones, Mahrez, Humphreys
Booked: Danilo 48 (foul on Embolo), Zinchenko 69 (Foul on Embolo)
Goals: Aguero 36, pen, 38; Sane 42; Sterling 56; Bernardo Silva 71, Foden 77; Gabriel Jesus 84
Schalke 04: Fahrmann (C), Bruma, Stambuli, Sane, Oczipa, Serdar, Konoplyanka, Bentaleb, McKennie (Mendyl 74), Burgstaller (Teuchert 79), Embolo (Skrzybski 69) #s04
Schalke 04 Subs not used: Nubel, Rudy, Matondo, Kutucu
Booked: Bruma 33 (impeded Bernardo Silva to concede a penalty)
Referee: Clement Turpin (FRANCE)