A second six-goal performance inside a week took Manchester City to the verge of qualification for the Champions League knockout stage – but for Hoffenheim’s late equaliser they would have become the first team to go through with this victory – it was just a pity the night will be remembered for a Norman Wisdom pratfall rather than the football produced to smother Shakhtar Donetsk. Raheem Sterling did his best to make amends with a fine individual goal at the start of the second half but the penalty he was awarded to break Shakhtar hearts in the first half was a travesty, the kind of thing that simply should not happen in a competition of this calibre. VAR would have overturned the decision at once, or at least as soon as the review panel had stopped laughing.
Raheem Sterling has issued an apology after he was awarded a fortuitous penalty in Manchester City’s comfortable Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk. Viktor Kassai pointed to the spot in the 24th minute in the belief that the City winger had been tripped by Mykola Matviyenko but replays showed Sterling simply fell over his own feet. ‘I’ve gone through on goal and not timed my kick and yeah it was a calamity,’ he said afterwards. ‘I’m sorry on my behalf and sorry to the ref. I didn’t try to con him I made a mistake and kicked the floor ‘It’s one of those where I didn’t want to look like I was looking for a foul I just put my head down and didn’t want to say anything ‘It is what it is and apologies again.’
‘It is not [a penalty]. VAR doesn’t exist in UEFA so that is the problem,’ Pep Guardiola added. ‘The ref has made a mistake but he must be helped. ‘So it’s not nice to score a goal in that way but it is that way. Last season it happened against us against Liverpool.’ Bizarre though the decision was, it hardly proved decisive with City already a goal to the good through David Silva. Gabriel Jesus scored a hat-trick, which included two penalties, while a stunning Sterling individual strike and another from Riyad Mahrez put the gloss on an emphatic 6-0 win.
