Sporting's magic Lisbon crowd show Man City have already proved Champions League doubters wrong

Manchester City recorded a thumping 5-0 win in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Sporting CP last night, breaking a record in the process.

Goals from Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling mean City are the first team in the history of the competition to win five consecutive knockout games away from home.

Of course, that achievement carries a slight asterisk given the circumstances surrounding some of those games.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions last season, away wins at Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain were played in the absence of famously vociferous home supporters, while the victory against Borussia Monchengladbach came at a neutral venue.

Those trips could well have been tougher had a hostile home crowd been present, something that has seemingly affected City in the Champions League in years past.

The 3-0 humiliation against Liverpool at Anfield in 2018 helped give root to the idea that Pep Guardiola's side don't like it when a home crowd gets up and has a go. However, the 5-0 demolition of Sporting on Tuesday went some way to dispelling that myth.

The Lisbon crowd set their stall out from the off, performing a spine-tingling rendition of the club's anthem and holding their scarfs aloft to create a sea of green and white. They were clearly up for it and their team fed off that energy in the opening stages as Sporting attacked City.

Unfortunately for Sporting they got a little too giddy, with City ruthlessly exploiting the spaces left by attack-minded opponents to race into a 4-0 lead by half-time.

As well as doing their best to inspire their team, the Sporting fans made the atmosphere as uncomfortable for City as they possibly could.

Every touch of Ederson,