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Manchester City 5-3 Monaco: Highlights and recap

By Jake Walerius

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 21: Leroy Sane of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's fifth goal to make the score 5-3 during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg match between Manchester City FC and AS Monaco at Etihad Stadium on February 21, 2017 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 21: Leroy Sane of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's fifth goal to make the score 5-3 during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg match between Manchester City FC and AS Monaco at Etihad Stadium on February 21, 2017 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Manchester City beat Monaco 5-3 at the Etihad on Feb. 21. Here are all the highlights from the Champions League match.

We saw the very best and very worst of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Monaco. In the end, the good outweighed the bad, but my goodness did they push their luck.

City started the match as they have started so many others this term, passing the ball apprehensively around their back line. Willy Caballero was the most wasteful of the back five, misplaying the ball on several occasions, but it seemed City would get more of the space they crave when Raheem Sterling opened the scoring in the 26th minute.

Leroy Sane, excellent all match, beat three Monaco players on the dribble, briefly lost the ball, recollected it thanks to David Silva and passed to Sterling for a simple finish.

Then, as they have so often this season, City’s old failings came back to haunt them. Lazy defending at the back post from John Stones and Bacary Sagna allowed Radamel Falcao, scorer of 22 goals in all competitions this season, space at the back post to head in a Kylian Mbappe cross. The move began with a Caballero giveaway.

Monaco took the lead a little under 10 minutes later, this time after City’s center-backs failed to deal with a routine long ball. Mbappe converted with a powerful finish into the roof of the net.

There was also time amid City’s defensive meltdown for Kevin De Bruyne to play Sergio Aguero clean through on goal. The Argentine appeared to be fouled by Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic, but was instead given a yellow for diving. It was an unfortunate decision — replays showed there was contact — but not unfortunate enough to explain the two goals the Citizens conceded.

Things only got more ridiculous in the second half, and they got worse before they got better for City. The first meaningful action of the second period saw Nicolas Otamendi foul Falcao in the box to give away a penalty that Caballero saved.

When Sergio Aguero equalized 10 minutes later, thanks to a bad Danijel Subasic error in the Monaco goal, it seemed City had dodged a bullet. But the defensive mishaps kept coming. Falcao, played into space down the left channel, beat John Stones easily before dinking a beautiful finish over Caballero to give the Ligue 1 side a 3-2 lead.

City kept throwing men forward, out of necessity as much as commitment to any philosophy. They were rewarded by more lax Monaco defending. Aguero and Stones scored in 10 minutes, both from unmarked on set pieces. To cap off a crazy game, Sane made it five for City in the final 10 minutes.

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Highlights

"Sterling got City’s goal, but Leroy Sané should get the credit. What a run! #UCL #MCIASM https://t.co/UkLWvysw2X— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 21, 2017"

"Textbook diving header from Falcao, his 14th goal in 15 games (all comps). #UCL #MCIASM https://t.co/8TMQeD84KD— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 21, 2017"

"Penalty or dive? Aguero and Guardiola can’t believe the call. #MCIASM #UCL https://t.co/w0B3ZupWJT— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 21, 2017"

"🎶MBAPPE, ba duba dopBa du bop, ba duba dop🎶(Sorry, we had to). #UCL #MCIASM https://t.co/UZgqBENl1G— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 21, 2017"

"Remember when Falcao was really, really good? Yeah, that Falcao is back. What. A. Goal. 😱 #UCL #MCIASM https://t.co/kBe23GeVnk— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 21, 2017"

"Aguero on the volley! This game… #MCIASM #UCL https://t.co/GsE3QNl3TZ— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 21, 2017"

"If you like defense, you’ve watched the wrong game. Even the defenders are scoring. Stones’ first #UCL goal! #MCIASM https://t.co/qPZMFfLGE2— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 21, 2017"

The Citizens will be favorites with a two goal lead heading into the second leg in three weeks, but after this match, who knows what to expect. More of the same would be nice.

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