Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling wonder-strikes explain Pep Guardiola's unusual Lisbon verdict

Manchester City took a huge step towards qualifying for the Champions League quarter-finals with a thumping 5-0 against Sporting CP on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola's side flew out of the traps in the first-leg of their round of 16 tie against the Portuguese champions, with Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva putting City 2-0 up inside 20 minutes.

A second Bernardo goal plus strikes from Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling sealed the result, and much of the post-match talk is rightfully centered around the wonderful efforts from Bernardo and Sterling.

Bernardo's first of the evening was an extraordinary half-volleyed effort, a something-out-of-nothing goal that demands you endlessly watch it on repeat to marvel at the ludicrous technique. The fact that it smacked off the underside of the crossbar made it all the more aesthetically pleasing.

Not one to be upstaged, Sterling scored City's fifth with a sumptuous curling effort into the top corner, a strike even better than his recent goal against Norwich.

Both goals were fantastic, although in the BT Sport studio there were disagreements over which was better.

"I prefer the Raheem one - it had a bit more spin, it was further out," Owen Hargreaves said of the England star's strike, while Rio Ferdinand labelled Bernardo's effort "breathtaking."

The debate about which was better could go on for weeks, but the goals highlighted the difference in City's performance in each half.

City scored four goals before half-time yet, surprisingly, they did not control proceedings in their usual manner. At 2-0, Sporting enjoyed a brief resurgence and, throughout the half, the hosts looked dangerous whenever they broke forward.

"I honestly think the first half we lost some easy balls and gave them