Manchester City travelled to Kharkiv to face off against Shakhtar Donetsk at the Metalist Stadium earlier tonight hoping to kick off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a victory on the road. The Citizens made a dominant start to the contest and scored in the 24th minute via Riyad Mahrez’s finish from close range. Ilkay Gundogan doubled Man City’s advantage in the 38th minute when he found the back of the net with a calm finish.
The second half was more of the same with the Mancunian outfit dominating possession and looking to put the game to bed. Gabriel Jesus killed the contest off when he scored in the 76th minute. The match finished with Pep Guardiola’s side coming away with a vital 3-0 win from Kharkiv.
Let’s take a look at how each Man City player fared during the match against Shakhtar Donetsk.
GK: Ederson – 6/10
The Brazilian goalie made a vital save in the first half. However, he had a couple of nervy moments in the second when Shakhtar were desperately trying to find a way back into the contest.
RB: Kyle Walker – 6.5/10
The English full-back made a slow start to the match but managed to provide a decent outlet for his team down the right flank. He did his defensive duties at the back and has a clean sheet to show for his efforts.
CB: Fernandinho – 6/10
The Brazilian midfielder had to fill in as a makeshift centre-back in the absence of John Stones and Aymeric Laporte. He defended well when called into action which was enough for his side to secure a shut-out on the night.
CB: Nicolás Otamendi – 6/10
The experienced Argentine defender had a comfortable game at the centre of the Man City backline. The Shakhtar attackers failed to trouble him too much during the encounter.
LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko – 7.5/10
He had a fantastic game as the left-back. Zinchenko held firm and was a hard man to beat when defending inside his own half and linked up play well with his teammates going forward.
CM: IIkay Gündogan – 8/10
The German midfielder was a driving force from midfield and was unfortunate not to have scored with his attempt that hit the post. However, Mahrez managed to convert the opportunity on the rebound. Gundogan doubled his side’s lead in the 38th minute when he made a well-timed run into the Shakhtar penalty box before scoring from close range.
CM: Rodri – 6.5/10
The Spaniard retained possession quite effectively in midfield and distributed the ball accurately to help his team dominate the contest.
CM: Kevin De Bruyne – 6.5/10
The Belgian international was full of energy and running at the centre of the park. However, he lacked the cutting edge in the final third.
RM: Riyad Mahrez – 8/10
The Algerian winger scored in the first half when he followed the ball after Gundogan’s initial shot and got an easy tap-in from close range. He repaid the favour when he set-up Gundogan who scored in the 38th minute to hand the Citizens a commanding two-goal lead at half-time.
LM: Raheem Sterling – 6/10
The former Liverpool speedster was bright and energetic early on in the game, but he failed to make any meaningful contributions going forward.
ST: Gabriel Jesus – 7/10
The Brazilian striker worked his socks off and did well to stretch the pitch up top. He got his deserved goal in the second half, which will please Guardiola.
Substitutes:
CM: Bernardo Silva – 6/10
The Portuguese playmaker added some fresh energy to the Man City midfield.
RB: Joao Cancelo – N/A
He did not have enough time to influence the game.
LB: Benjamin Mendy – N/A
He came on to run the clock down for the visitors.
