Pep Guardiola Criticizes Man City Players For Underperforming In 5-0 Champions League Win

Manchester City hammered Sporting Lisbon 5-0 in Portugal on Tuesday night but perfectionist Pep Guardiola was not totally impressed with his team.

City started the round of 16 as tournament favorites and they lived up to that billing with a dominant first-leg display in Portugal.

Sporting have the best defense in Portugal's Primeira Liga this season, but City found themselves four goals clear after less than 45 minutes.

A half-time score of 0-4 made Champions League history as City became the first away team ever in the knockout phase to lead by four goals at the interval.

Bernardo Silva scored twice inside 44 minutes. Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden also found the net, before Raheem Sterling completed the rout in the second half.

But when a BT Sport reporter after the match asked Guardiola whether he had witnessed "pretty much a perfect performance", the Spaniard shook his head and tutted.

Pep Guardiola pictured gesturing to his Man City players during their 5-0 win at Sporting Lisbon

IMAGO/Nigel Keene

Guardiola was clearly in a pretty good mood, but he replied: "No. Some players underperformed and we lost easy balls, but we were so clinical.

"We saw in the first five or six minutes how good Sporting are. The difference between the two teams is not 5-0 but we were so clinical. We punished them.

"There is one rule in football when you have the ball and that’s not to lose it. We had some simple passes that we lost. Against the top sides in Europe we would be punished.

"It is a fantastic team. They are the champions of Portugal. They have incredible runners. They have a good team but I am very pleased because we make a big step towards the next round."