RAHEEM Sterling and Gabriel Jesus sent Manchester City into the Champions League quarter-finals as a 2-1 defeat of Real Madrid on Friday sealed a 4-2 aggregate win.
Leading 2-1 from the first leg of their last-16 tie in February, City hit the front early on at the Etihad Stadium when Raphael Varane gift-wrapped Raheem Sterling his 100th goal for the club.
Karim Benzema’s fine header restored parity in the 28th minute, only for Varane to again cost Madrid midway through the second half.
Jesus was the benefactor of the centre-back’s second calamity of the game, with a quarter-final clash against Lyon the reward for City. Varane’s nightmare started in the ninth minute, with the France international playing himself into trouble, Jesus robbing possession and teeing up Sterling for a simple finish.
Sterling very nearly had his 101st goal in sky blue moments after, but his chipped effort dropped just over the bar.
Ederson had to make two fine saves as Madrid fought back, but City did not heed the warning, and the visitors were on level terms when Benzema headed in from Rodrygo’s cross.
Sterling could have done better with a shot into the side netting following the restart, before Thibaut Courtois denied Kevin De Bruyne direct from a corner.
Courtois was in action again with 25 minutes remaining, tipping Jesus’ effort over, but City had their second soon after.
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Having messed up his initial header, Varane put nowhere near enough power on his nod back to Courtois, with Jesus nipping in to prod home cleverly from a tight angle.
Meanwhile, Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo broke the club record for most goals in a single season on Friday with his double against Lyon in the Champions League.
The Bianconeri went into the clash needing a positive result to advance to the quarter-finals, having gone down 1-0 in the last-16 opener all the way back in February.
And their task was made even harder when Memphis Depay converted in style from the spot after Rodrigo Bentancur gave away a contentious spot-kick.
With Ronaldo in the team, however, there is always the potential for goals, and the Portugal captain proved as much by netting at the end of the first half to keep Juve in the tie.
The ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid man had come close with a free-kick just minutes earlier which forced a fine save from Lyon No. 1 Anthony Lopes.
