Manchester City: Riyad Mahrez (24″), İlkay Gündoğan (38″), Gabriel Jesus (76″)
Shakhtar Donetsk: No score.
- Mahrez, Gündoğan and Jesus score for Manchester City
- Fernandinho captains City against former team
In the context of a defensive dilemma, which was triggered by injuries to centre-backs Laporte and John Stones, this was a specifically fine display screen from Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s team might be triumph in this opening Group C game but there will always be challenge to manage defensive woes.
Yet of the Fernandinho-Nicolás Otamendi centre-back partnership Guardiola did have a warning. “Nico is 31, Fernandinho is 34, as well as next alternative is 18 [Eric García],” he stated. “For [the next] 3 or four months I do not recognize what will certainly take place. Both were unbelievable tonight. “Fernandinho can play in any position but it is impossible for them to play every few days. The next options are Eric García and Taylor Harwood‑Bellis and they are teenagers.”
Fernandinho’s addition was among 4 changes from Norwich. The others were the Bernardo Silva, David Silva and Sergio Agüero were replaced by Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, and Gabriel Jesus.
Happy with that ????
???? 0-3 ???? #ManCity #UCL pic.twitter.com/j7jkRKqpUt
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 18, 2019
Team
How we line-up in Kharkiv! ????
XI | Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Fernandinho (C), Zinchenko, Gundogan, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Sterling, Jesus
Subs | Bravo, Aguero, Bernardo, Silva, Mendy, Cancelo, E Garcia
???? #ManCity #UCL pic.twitter.com/0Psh7eR9ML
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 18, 2019
???? TEAM NEWS ???? Taison in the starting XI!
⚒ Our player list for the @ChampionsLeague campaign opener #ShakhtarManCity. #UCL
Follow the game online: https://t.co/Ics9FZdfMM. pic.twitter.com/fp9mupp2Ox
— FC SHAKHTAR ENGLISH (@FCShakhtar_eng) September 18, 2019
Head to Head
After Match
Pep Guardiola, Manager – “We saw the results today, how difficult is the Champions League, it’s a special competition. We make an incredible, serious game, we defended really well and created chances. But big congratulations, to start with three points away is so important. Now it’s in our hands, if we win our games at home we’ll be in the last 16.
I know when we win the manager always makes the right decisions, and when we lose always the wrong decisions. If people think I’m going to doubt these players, what they have done especially in the last two seasons, we lost one game in the last eight months in the Premier League, if people think I’m going to doubt who they are, how they compete in every single game, in all the competitions … It’s a joy to be their manager.”
Fernandinho, Captain – We don’t have many choices. I think he’s the only one I have. Other players can play in that position but I think Fernandinho is a clever player, so intelligent and an incredible guy. He did well. He has a lot of experience and personality, and the people follow him in the locker room.