'Perfect' Silva nets brace as City cruise

LISBON • Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Bernardo Silva was the "perfect player" after the Portuguese midfielder's double in the 5-0 win over Sporting Lisbon in their Champions League last-16, first-leg clash on Tuesday.

City were dominant from start to finish in the Portuguese capital to all but seal their spot in the quarter-finals before the second leg in Manchester on March 9.

Silva scored his first Champions League brace and his first goals in the competition in almost a year in a vintage display, a performance all the sweeter given that he came through the academy at Sporting's rivals Benfica.

"I always tell him 'you are the perfect player'," Guardiola said.

"With the ball, he is more than exceptional, but I always say to him you have to go and win games, you have to have the ability to do it. He has the technique, everything.

"This was his home town, and he loves coming back here. Of course he is a former Benfica player, so this was special for him tonight."

Silva concurred with his boss, saying: "I'm Portuguese, I'm from the other side of the city. My mum is Sporting, my dad is Benfica. It was special to score here in my home town. But we still have a job to do in Manchester."

Looking to go one better after losing in the final to Chelsea last season, and pursuing the one major trophy that has eluded Guardiola since he joined City in 2016, the English Premier League champions laid down a marker in Lisbon.

Riyad Mahrez opened the scoring and Silva bagged the second before Phil Foden made it three in the 32nd minute.

With City at their imperious best, Silva struck again and Raheem Sterling's gem rounded off the demolition after the interval.

Guardiola's men are unbeaten in their last 13 games in all competition, a hot streak that now includes 12 wins.

But despite steering his side to their biggest win in an away game in any round of the competition, the Spaniard was not totally satisfied with what he saw in the Jose Alvalade Stadium.

"We defended well and got an incredible result," he said.

"But we have a duty to look at the performance too, even if the result is a dream. The performance could have been better.

"We had some simple passes that we lost. Against the top sides in Europe, we would be punished. The players know me and the way we work that we can do better.

"If we do go through to the quarter-finals, who knows what will happen. Last season, we made a perfect Champions League season, then we lost the final.

"Then we are seen as a failure. I will not hide behind a 5-0 win, there is a long way to go."

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE