Bernardo Silva and Manchester City feast on Champions League away goals in thrashing of Sporting

There already appears to be an issue with Uefa’s decision to scrap the away goals rule. Nobody told Manchester City.

If this had been any other European tie played over the last 57 years, Pep Guardiola’s side would be home and hosed. Instead, Sporting Clube de Portugal could force extra time and penalties with a 5-0 win at the Etihad three weeks from now. Something about this display of brute attacking brilliance and absolute superiority at the Estadio Jose Alvalade tells you City will be alright.

A place in the Champions League quarter-finals is all but assured after five unanswered goals over Portugal’s reigning champions, with two from local boy Bernardo Silva. The crowd at the Alvalade had started the evening by loudly whistling whenever he, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo or Ederson - all Benfica players at one point in their career - touched the ball but City beat that hostility out of them.

It was on this ground, during the Champions League ‘mini-tournament’ in Lisbon two summers ago, that City’s journey came to a sudden and surprise end against Olympique Lyonnais. They were expected to go all the way then, just as they are now, and Guardiola has learned that being favourites counts for little in this competition. It counts for something, though, and City look more than deserving of that status.

Guardiola’s side barely took any time at all in letting the gulf in quality tell, with the ball in Sporting’s net after only seven minutes, though were made to wait a little longer to actually take the lead. A lengthy VAR check followed Riyad Mahrez’s rolled finish into a half-unguarded net, as Kevin De Bruyne had appeared to assist him from an offside position after Phil Foden’s shot was saved by Antonio Adan.

With the flag