Football news - Classy Manchester City get campaign back on track with win at Shakhtar Donetsk
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Updated 23/10/2018 at 22:01 GMT
Champions League, Group F, Metalist Stadium – Shakhtar Donetsk 0, Manchester City 3 (David Silva 30, Laporte 35, Bernardo Silva 70)
Manchester City's French defender Aymeric Laporte (L) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League football match between Shakhatr Donetsk and Manchester City at the Metallist stadium in Kharkiv, on October 23, 2018.
Image credit: Getty Images
Manchester City surged to the top of Champions League Group F with a superb 3-0 victory at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Pep Guardiola's men became the first English side to win at the home of the Ukrainian champions with an impressive display that was built largely on the foundations of a first-half master class.
The Citizens had hit the post and gone close with a raft of chances prior to David Silva opening the scoring with a crisp volley on the half hour mark. Aymeric Laporte then doubled the visitors' advantage five minutes later when he was left unmarked to head home Kevin De Bruyne's left-wing corner.
It was De Bruyne's first start of the season following injury, which was just one of a number of positives on a night when City could have scored a hatful.
The third goal did finally arrive 20 minutes from time when Bernardo Silva came off the bench and drilled home within seconds of his arrival.
It sealed a result that sees City move to the summit of the pool on six points, one ahead of Lyon who were held to a 3-3 draw at Hoffenheim.
City now head to Wembley for a mouth-watering Premier League clash with Tottenham on Monday in high spirits. Their next Champions League engagement sees the English champions host Shakhtar on November 7.
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David Silva
Image credit: Getty Images
TALKING POINT.
City are well and truly back on track in Europe. Not many observers were buying Pep Guardiola's suggestion his side aren't quite ready to win the Champions League ahead of this contest - and no-one will after this magnificent showing. City were totally dominant, particularly in the first half and made a very tough European assignment look easy. The home blip against Lyon on Matchday 1 is firmly behind them and they have wrestled their way back into a strong position in the group by responding with two impressive away-day victories.
MAN OF THE MATCH
David Silva (Man City). Pulled the strings in midfield and was at the heart of City's best moves. Capped his display with a brilliant opener.
PLAYER RATINGS
SHAKHTAR: Pyatov 7, Matviienko 6, Kryvtsov 6, Rakitskiy 6, Ismaily 7, Maycon 6, Stepanenko 6, Wellington Nem 6, Kovalenko 6, Fernando 6, Moraes 6. Subs: Patrick 7, Bolbat 7, Dentinho n/a.MAN CITY: Ederson 7, Laporte 7, Mendy 8, Stones 8, Otamendi 7, Fernandinho 8, De Bruyne 7, David Silva 8, Mahrez 7, Sterling 7, Jesus 7. Subs: Bernardo Silva 7, Walker 6, Foden n/a.
KEY MOMENTS
14' - MAN CITY CHANCE. Silva sends Jesus rampaging free but the Brazilian takes too long getting his shot away and sees it well smothered by Pyatov.
24' - MAN CITY CHANCES. City break at lightning speed from the corner. Sterling floats it into the path of Mahrez, who steadies himself and bears down on the keeper, but fires just wide of the far post. The visitors come again seconds later and it falls for Mahrez in the area once more, but this time his low effort is blocked by a defender on the line with Pyatov beaten.
28' - MAN CITY HIT THE POST. David Silva sees his flick from Mahrez's whipped right-wing cross crash back off the post, with Jesus smashing the rebound wide.
30' - GOAL! Shakhtar 0-1 Man City. City finally have the lead as Silva volleys a lovely effort into the far corner after Jesus' attempt had deflected into his path.
35' - GOAL! Shakhtar 0-2 Man City. Laporte is left unmarked to head home De Bruyne's left-wing corner.
70' - GOAL! Shakhtar 0-3 Man City. Bernardo Silva makes an instant impact from the bench as he fires a low shot into the corner via the far post.
90+1' - MAN CITY HIT THE BAR. Sterling is sent free by Mahrez but sees his rising effort thunder against the woodwork.
KEY STATS
- Silva has scored in consecutive away games in the Champions League for the first time in his career.
- The Citizens have only failed to net in one of their last 16 CL group stage matches. That was back in October 2016 when they were thumped 4-0 at Barcelona.
- City are the first English side to win away at Shakhtar Donetsk in European competition, after the Ukrainian side had won five and drawn two of the previous seven such games.
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