Manchester City recover to defeat Monaco in Champions League tie for the ages

“Let’s hope the fourth official indicates 15 minutes of added time,” joked Darren Fletcher commentating on BT Sport. Who could blame him? As Manchester City recovered to beat Monaco in the first leg of the Champions League second round, the two combined to produce one of the most thrilling matches in the tournament’s history.

Monaco swept aside the hosts in the first half, with goals from Falcao and the prodigious Kylian Mbappe cancelling out Raheem Sterling’s opener. After Sergio Aguero equalised, Falcao regained the French side’s lead with a dink over Willy Caballero that will live long in the memory – and not just for the way the Colombian left John Stones on his back-side.

During the mayhem Aguero was booked for diving when he should have had a penalty and Falcao missed his own spot kick. Eventually City roared back with three goals between the 72^nd and 81^st minute. Aguero levelled with a lovely volley from David Silva’s corner, while Stones earned a redemption strike to make it 4-3. Leroy Sane finished the rout after a scything move featuring Aguero and Silva. In truth, Monaco collapsed just as City had earlier.

It was the kind of match that had you watching through your fingers because of the lapses in defence. Consider Caballero’s clearance which plunged his team into danger before Mbappe scored. Think back to how Subasic should have saved Aguero’s first goal. But on the other hand there were moments of brilliance, such as Falcao’s chip and Sane’s endless running and productivity.

The fun started with Bernardo Silva nutmegging Yaya Toure and Mbappe dribbling past Nicolas Otamendi as if he wasn’t there. It’s easy to see why Mbappe, 18, is being touted as the next Thierry Henry. Sterling opened the scoring, turning in Sane’s cross after the German evaded three defenders on the left.

Monaco battled back to take the lead. Fabinho swung a cross towards goal which Falcao headed in, and moments after Aguero was wrongly booked when Subasic brought him down, Mbappe scored the vistors’ second. He left Otamendi for dead and side-footed into the roof of the net, taking advantage of Caballero’s shanked clearance.

The Ligue 1 leaders should have been further ahead by the time Falcao missed a penalty that would have put his side 3-1 up. The forward with 16 league goals this season slid to meet a cross with Otamendi, resulting in a tussle which nobody on the pitch thought was a foul apart from referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz. Otamendi was booked, and Falcao rolled his penalty straight at Caballero. It was never a penalty and City got their just rewards.

They pulled it back to 2-2 when Sterling, breaking from the halfway line, laid off a diagonal ball for Augero whose shot tricked through Subasic’s grasp and into the Monaco net. The Croat may have gained solance from Falcao’s lob for 3-2, but City completed their rout thereafter.

Aguero equalised after meeting Silva’s corner beautifully, while it felt ironic that it was Stones who put them 4-3 ahead after he let Falcao muscle past him earlier. The England defender converted Kevin De Bruyne’s corner at the far post, and as Monaco began waving the white flag, Sane got the goal his performance warranted. Meanwhile City and Monaco will meet again in the second leg on 15^th March, just in case you were thinking this season’s Champions League couldn’t get any better.

UFC Fight Night Halifax: Six things we learned as Derrick Lewis stops Travis Browne

Heavyweight Derrick Lewis earned his sixth victory in a row by coming from behind to stop Travis Browne at Sunday’s UFC Fight Night event in Halifax.

“The Black Beast” clutched his belly in pain from Browne’s body kicks, but the 32-year-old rallied and smashed through Browne’s guard with uppercuts to complete his comeback.

While Johny Hendricks earned his first win at middleweight, let’s take a look at six things we learned from this weekend’s bouts.

Lewis can move up further in the heavyweight division

Indeed, ranked at number eight, Lewis is enjoying the best form of his career and with his finishing instincts, active game on top and steely mentality he can challenge for a spot in the top five. He never gave up against Browne and once he’d recovered from a body assault in round one, he cut off the distance and hammered his rival with uppercuts. Eventually Browne crumbled to the mat and Lewis finished with ground-and-pound. Next up Lewis could face the number six from France, Francis Ngannou.

Lewis performs an entertaining post-fight interview

Of course, the Texan has always been a bit of an oddball, but he took this to a new level with his hilarious post-fight interview. Was he hurt from Browne’s tirade to the body? “No, I’ve just got to do a number two.” Too much information, Derrick. The heavyweight then spoke of all the sex he’s been getting recently, and Brian Stann must have used all of his restraint to stay professional by this point.

Browne needs to trust his instincts

On the other hand, Browne suffered his third defeat on the spin and is falling into a habit of losing fights when he has the upper hand. For instance, he hurt Andrei Arlovski before losing that war in 2015, and it was the same story against Lewis. Browne boasted a 3.5 inch height advantage and used it to connect with a range of kicks to the body and the head. But as soon as he started taking punishment, he covered up and couldn’t fight back. Should he have tried to clinch with Lewis? Should he have kept it at range with his boxing? Browne now has plenty of soul-searching to do.

Hendricks has the cardio to succeed at middleweight

Soon after Hendricks got his unanimous decision over Hector Lombard, the former welterweight king grinned into a camera and yelled: “185 motherf---ers!” Judging by the way he scored knees and punches on the exit and for the most part avoided going to the mat with Lombard, Hendricks’ delight was understandable. Notching a win on his debut at middleweight, Hendricks looked fresh at his new home, and his power and fitness should keep him around the top ten. But does he has the size to compete in the higher division? His 69 inch reach pales in comparison to the champion Michael Bisping’s 75.5 inch reach.

Marshman belongs in the UFC

Also at middleweight, Welshman Jack Marshman suffered a stunning knockout via a second round wheel kick from Brazil’s Thiago Santos. But given the boxing prowess he showed in dropping Santos with a counter right in the opener, he should be able to develop as a fighter in the UFC’s 185lbs scene. Indeed, Marshman was unhappy with the stoppage and don’t be surprised to see him lining up at a UFC event in Europe any time soon.

Tucker boasts nerves of steel

Imagine making your UFC debut in your home country. And on the main card, no less. You’ll hear UFC commentators discussing “Octagon jitters” for UFC debutants, but that wasn’t the case for featherweight Gavin Tucker, who landed kicks at will against Sam Sicilia before winning a unanimous decision. Although Tucker’s opponents had a combined ledger of 37-46 before the bout, the 30-year-old used his footwork and variety to dominate Sicilia. He landed 60 strikes to his opponent’s 10 and even found time to showboat for his home crowd. Nicely done.

Roma thrash Fiorentina to seal a record 14th consecutive home win

Roma earned a record 14^th consecutive home win on Tuesday with Edin Dzeko scoring twice to complete a 4-0 rout over Fiorentina.

The hosts broke a record that stood since 1930 thanks to strikes from Dzeko, Radja Nainggolan and Federico Fazio.

With that, Roma closed the gap on leaders Juventus to four points, while Fiorentina sank to only one win at the Stadio Olimpico in their last 22 visits. 

But it was the Giallorossi who were tested early on, as Fiorentina winger Federico Chiesa went close twice in the first half. 

Fazio cleared Chiesa's lob off the line, while Emerson headed Federico Bernadeschi’s cross out for a corner before the youngster could meet it. 

Roma found their groove soon enough though. Nainggolan linked up with Kevin Strootman who fed a diagonal ball to the Brazilian, Bruno Peres, who scuffed over from six yards out.

Would Dzeko have finished from there? Roma wouldn’t have to rue their missed opportunity for long. The former Manchester City striker scored his first on 39 minutes, killing Daniele De Rossi’s lob before stroking past Ciprian Tatarusanu in the Fiorentina goal.

Indeed, Dzeko’s weight of touch belied his 6 foot 4 frame but Bruno Sanchez should have shrugged him off the ball.

By the time Fazio netted with 58 minutes gone, Fiorentina looked down and out. De Rossi whipped in an inswinging free kick which Fazio nodded in across goal. The defender wanted the ball more than anyone else, while De Rossi impressed with his second assist of the evening.

After the hour mark, Roma picked up the tempo. Nainggolan dribbled through tight spaces, and Stephan El Shaarawy carried the ball with intent. 

Dzeko was everywhere. He cut out a Sanchez back-pass and swiped wide. He flicked a header towards Fazio, who couldn’t quite stretch enough to head in his second.

As Fiorentina continued to crumble, Naingollan took full advantage. The Belgian scored a third on 75 minutes when, in one airborne motion, he brought down a Strootman lob with the outside of his boot and slammed in past Tatarusanu.  

Few defences can live with Nainggolan in this kind of mood and the same can be said of Dzeko, who became Serie A’s top scorer with his second of the match and 17^th of the season on 83 minutes.

Sanchez played another suicide ball in the air towards Davide Asotri, who Dzeko easily muscled past to slide in the winner. Roma were rampant but it’s hard to decide which team 4-0 flattered the most.