Manchester City fans lauded Bernardo Silva’s strike as a goal of the season contender as Pep Guardiola’s side took control of their Champions League clash at Sporting Lisbon.
City kicked off the knockout stages of the competition as they travelled to Portugal for the first leg of their last-16 tie, and they couldn’t have made a better start to proceedings.
They took an early lead when Riyad Mahrez turned the ball home from Kevin De Bruyne’s cut-back, with a long VAR check eventually resulting in City going in front.
But the best was to come just 10 minutes later as Silva thundered the visitors into a commanding lead.
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Rodri looked to win a header at the back post from Mahrez’s corner but found himself under pressure from a Sporting defender, although it ended up working in City’s favour.
The ball dropped for Silva who, from a tight angle, blasted the ball home off the crossbar, leaving Sporting goalkeeper Antonio Adan helpless, and City fans in awe.
City are of course looking to take another step towards a first European crown this season as they look to complete a historic treble, and things got even better for them when Phil Foden gave them a 3-0 lead just after the half-hour mark.
And with three away goals already in the bag ahead of the second leg at the Etihad in three weeks’ time, they look to already have one foot in the quarter-finals as they aim to justify their tag as favourites in the competition.
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