Raheem Sterling's Goal Guides Manchester City Past Dinamo Zagreb in UCL

Manchester City managed to escape with a 2-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday in the second match of 2019-20 UEFA Champions League Group C play at the Etihad Stadium.

City have bounced back from a shocking mid-September Premier League loss to Norwich City to earn five straight wins by a combined score of 19-1 across all competitions. They also own the top spot in the group with a perfect six points from two UCL fixtures.

Zagreb, the reigning Croatian champions, are second in Group C after beating Atalanta in their opener.

Notable Match Stats

Possession

• Manchester City: 80.8 percent
• Dinamo Zagreb: 19.2 percent

Shots on Target

• Manchester City: 6
• Dinamo Zagreb: 1

Raheem Sterling (MCI): Goal, Assist

Phil Foden (MCI): Goal

Riyad Mahrez (MCI): Assist

Match stats courtesy WhoScored.com.

City's Lack of Creativity Leads To Narrow Win

Manchester City, a heavy favorite entering the match, were clearly the better side on the pitch for a vast majority of Tuesday's 90 minutes.

They dominated possession and were consistently in the attacking third, but a lack of creativity in that key area of the field turned what could have been a blowout into a scoreless match at halftime.

City created a couple of chances to score in the opening half. Ilkay Gundogan drilled a shot off the crossbar in the 21st minute and David Silva missed a sitter from just outside the six-yard box a minute later.

For the most part, however, the Sky Blues struggled to generate clean looks at goal against a Zagreb side that often put nine or 10 players behind the ball in an extreme defensive posture. The presence of Kevin De Bruyne, who missed the match because of a groin injury, was missed.

Sterling's arrival as a substitute 10 minutes into the second half provided a much-needed spark to the City attack, so it was only fitting he broke the deadlock shortly after the hour mark.

The Sky Blues were able to catch the Zagreb backline in a moment of stagnation after a corner kick, and a terrific passing play created the necessary space for Mahrez to find Sterling with a step on his defender, and the England international made no mistake with a perfect first-touch finish.

City made two calls for potential penalty kicks in the game's final 15 minutes, but were not rewarded by either referee Serdar Gozubuyuk or VAR, much to the displeasure of manager Pep Guardiola.

But Zagreb were never able to mount a serious attacking push late as City secured the expected three points with a late tally from Foden to seal the deal.

What's Next?

Manchester City face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League at the Etihad on Sunday. Dinamo Zagreb return home to Stadion Maksimir to face Slaven Belupo in league play Saturday.

Champions League action continues for both sides Oct. 22. City are set to face Atalanta at home, while Zagreb will visit Shakhtar Donetsk.