Manchester City 5-3 Monaco player ratings as late goal flurry spares City blushes

Manchester City became the latest side to learn just how deadly Monaco can be, as Europe’s top scorers very nearly punished Pep Guardiola’s side for some lax defending.

The Premier League side had to dig deep in the first leg of this last 16 Champions League tie , finishing with a narrow advantag at the half-way mark.

City got off to a bright start in a less-than-packed Etihad after Raheem Sterling finished off some fine work by Leroy Sane to fire them ahead.

But they were undone by their own poor defending, with Radamel Falcao leveling the visitors level less than five minutes later, before Kylian Mbappe sprang the offside trap to put the visitors ahead – in a riveting see-saw game.

Sergio Aguero’s second-half double spared City’s blushes and looked to have salvaged a draw after Falcao’s exquisite chip – only for John Stones – culpable for the Colombian’s second strike – to emerge as an unlikely matchwinner, before Leroy Sane put the icing on the cake.

Read on for all of Andy Dunn’s ratings:

Manchester City

Caballero 5 – Penalty save some compensation for error that led to Falcao goal

Sagna 5 – Possibly the best City defender, which is not saying much

Otamendi 3 – Given a torrid time by Mbappe, had an absolute shocker

Stones 5 – Has been steadily deteriorating under Pep, completely unconvincing, but scored the winner

Fernandinho 4 – Booked. Not a left-back and did not look like one

Toure 5 – Looked what he is, a veteran trying to fend off years and youngsters

Sane 7 – Brilliant work for Sterling goal, a firm Pep favourite, and got on the scoresheet at the end

Silva 7 – One of the more composed attack-minded City players

De Bruyne 6 – Seemingly unsure on committing himself totally to attacking duties

Sterling 8 – Booked. Timed run for goal well and always wanting to hurt

Aguero 8 (MOTM) – Booked. Should have had a penalty, still lethal

Subs – Zabaleta (Fernandinho, 64 mins) 6, Fernando (Aguero, 86 mins)

Monaco

Subasic 4, Sidibe 6, Glik 6, Raggi 5, Mendy 6, Fabinho 7, Bakayoko 7, Silva 7, Mbappe 8, Lemar 7, Falcao 9