Schalke 04 2-3 Manchester City
Whenever you see a Champions League game between a successful giant and a club that has fallen in dire straits, it’s easy to think that this would be an easy win for the favourites. This is especially true if the bigger club is a titan in Manchester City. It just doesn’t make sense for this writer to try and place your trust (and money) on a team that is at risk of slipping out of the Bundesliga.
However, there’s always a niggling feeling that an upset is on the cards whenever a David-vs-Goliath situation is present. As much as the backdrop is perfect for the Sky Blues to dominate the opposition, all of the factors are also present for the struggling hosts to put on a show and give the favourites a scare.
That’s exactly what happened when Schalke gave the visiting City fans a scare in their first Champions League knockout game of the year. Thanks to Nabil Bentaleb’s steely nerves and the team’s overall play, Die Konigsblauen almost pulled off a fantastic upset.
Highlights of the game
Domenico Tedesco probably took a deep breath when he saw City’s starting XI. While Tedesco can be thankful that Leroy Sane did not start against his former club. However, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling, and Bernardo Silva still make for a dangerous front three.
True to the Schalke vs Manchester City odds, predicted, the game started with the Citizens firing on the front foot right away. Sergio Aguero threatened to score within five minutes when he got a cross from just outside the area, but a Schalke defender blocked the shot from going forward.
Schalke stopper Ralf Fahrmann knew that it would be a long 90 minutes for him, and he had to make a superb save when City’s all-time top goalscorer headed in a powerful ball. He was kept on his toes as Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne took turns in testing the goal.
The hosts did all they could to hamper City’s constant bombardment, but they were finally broken through on 18 minutes. Fahrmann’s poor pass left the defence with a gaping hole in the middle. David Silva immediately stole and passed the ball to Aguero. The Argentina international wasted no time in slotting the ball in.
It seemed like a routine night for City after breaking the bank open, but Schalke upped their attacks. Mark Uth fired a long ball in the 25th minute that went just wide of the post. The rest of the team also gathered and began pressuring Man City’s backline.
They eventually got their chance to equalise when Daniel Caligiuri’s 33rd-minute effort was blocked by Nicolas Otamendi’s arm. Schalke fans are more than thankful for the video monitor’s presence as Bentaleb tricked Ederson to going left as he slotted the ball to the bottom right.
The Algerian midfielder had another crack from the spot when their persistent attacks forced Fernandinho to pull Salif Sane down inside the box during a 43rd-minute free kick. Ederson stuck to the left and made the right decision. However, his deflection wasn’t strong enough to keep the ball away from the back of the net.
Pep had to rally his troops during the half-time break, and the Sky Blues responded to their gaffer in kind. Kevin De Bruyne started the reset with a beautiful shot from the edge of the box, but his shot was blocked and cleared for a corner. Ilkay Gundogan also tried his hand on scoring a goal, but his effort flew just wide of the left post.
A lot of Manchester City fans broke to nervous sweats when Otamendi, who got a yellow card for his handball, was given his marching orders after getting a second yellow card. Some may have written this off as an impressive giant-killing at this point.
However, Guardiola pulled off a masterstroke and managed to salvage the situation. Vincent Kompany shored up the defence after coming in for David Silva. Leroy Sane came in and scored a brilliant free-kick against his former club, though he had mixed feelings about what he did. Finally, Raheem Sterling pulled off a brilliant individual effort to complete the equally incredible comeback and leave Germany as 2-0 winners.
It was all too fast and heart-breaking for the ardent Schalke faithful who were convinced that they were finally on the up, but they can take comfort in the fact that they were part of a game that provided plenty of Champions League 2019 highlights.
Key statistics
The final score and the content of the match make it seem like Schalke put on a big fight, but the stat sheet tells of a different story.
City had 60% of the possession throughout the 90 minutes, producing 20 shot attempts. However, they could be a little more efficient on finishing those chances as only six of those shots were on target. Their 13 free kicks and nine corners showed the complete domination City had in the match.
This result also continues City’s unbeaten streak in their European excursions. They have not lost an away Champions League game since losing to Premier League rivals Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League quarter-finals.
What’s next?
The SBOBET Champions League market should be firm on City crushing Schalke at the Etihad and making the quarter-finals. Until they meet in March, though, the Sky Blues must first iron out their domestic league.
They will face Chelsea in the League Cup final, but everyone who watched the humiliation the Sky Blues put Maurizio Sarri’s men through should know how this game would end. This match will be followed by games against West Ham, Bournemouth, and Watford.
Meanwhile, Tedesco will be hoping to use this game as a springboard for the team to improve their form. They must win against Mainz, Fortuna Dusseldorf, and Werder Bremen if they want to stay in the Ferman top flight.
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