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City show resolve and fortitude in first leg against Schalke

By Kameron Duncan

GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 20: (B-T) Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko of Manchester celebrate afer scoring 2-3 lead during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg match between FC Schalke 04 and Manchester City at the Veltins-Arena on February 20, 2019 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Jörg Schüler/Getty Images)
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 20: (B-T) Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko of Manchester celebrate afer scoring 2-3 lead during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg match between FC Schalke 04 and Manchester City at the Veltins-Arena on February 20, 2019 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Jörg Schüler/Getty Images) /
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Manchester City find themselves leading Schalke 3-2 in the Champions League’s round of 16 after a wild night in Germany.

After Sergio Aguero took advantage of a critical mistake by Schalke’s defense in the first half, it seemed Manchester City were well on their way to a convincing victory. The game did go in favor of the Citizens, but the road to get there took more turns than anyone could have anticipated.

Following the first half, it seemed VAR would dominate the post-match analysis. City conceded twice from penalties (decisions that came within seven minutes of each other), and the game stood at 2-1 in favor of Schalke.

Nicolas Otamendi was determined to have impeded the flight of a shot on goal with his arm in the 36th minute. It appeared he didn’t deliberately strike the ball (in fact, he appeared to have avoid it), but after a VAR review Schalke were given the spot kick. Otamendi was also given a yellow card despite there being no obvious intent regarding the handball.

This booking proved to be costly later on in the match, when Otamendi received a second yellow card, forcing City to play the rest of the game with 10 men. Of course the red card means Otamendi will also be suspended for the second leg of the round of 16. A critical member of City’s defense, his absence could prove to be costly, especially with little to separate the two sides at this point in the tie.

Schalke scored again on another penalty shortly after Otamendi’s handball, this time coming after a foul by Fernandinho. This decision was surely easier on the officials, as the Brazilian clearly knocks down a Schalke player inside the box. Bentaleb would convert on his second penalty of the game to give Schalke a 2-1 lead.

Things looked bleak for City as the game reached its final 10 minutes. They were playing without Otamendi and looked destined for an uphill battle in the second leg. An important decision from Pep Guardiola proved to make all the difference. City’s manager elected to bring Leroy Sane on for Aguero in the dying moments.

Sane was able to bring City level with an incredible free-kick in the 85th minute. The former Schalke player was able to hit his old club with a devastating blow, sending a rocket past Ralf Faehrmann. Just when it appeared City had no hope, they now found themselves level in the game — and thanks to the away goals rule, ahead on aggregate.

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Despite the man advantage, Schalke always appeared to be the inferior team. City were able to dominate both possession (66 percent to 33) and chances (21 to 7) throughout the game. It appeared that after obtaining the lead, Schalke were playing not to lose instead of playing to win. A strategy like that against a team with as many dynamic talents as Manchester City can be foolish, a lesson Schalke would soon learn.

Five minute’s after Sane’s electrifying free-kick, Raheem Sterling sent City over the top by scoring his team’s third goal of the game. After being on the brink of disaster at the end of the first half and being down for most of the second, City were not only ahead on aggregate, but found themselves outright winners of the game.

This win showed a different side to City, a team who haven’t responded particularly well to adversity in this competition. They were unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League last season by domestic rival and eventual finalists Liverpool. Two years ago they were overwhelmed in the second leg of the round of 16 by a young and talented Monaco team featuring the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Tiemoue Bakayoko.

Champions League glory is one of the rare accolades Guardiola has been unable to acquire during his time at Manchester City. If City can find a way to win more games like these, their shortcomings in Europe’s premier club competition could be a thing of the past.

City have never won the Champions League, and haven’t lifted a European trophy since the 1970 Cup Winner’s Cup. If they’re able to face adversity in the same way they did tonight, and Guardiola can lead them through the rest of this tournament, they’ll have a chance to change that in a few months.

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