Despite falling behind in the first half, Manchester City claimed a 2-1 victory against Hoffenheim courtesy of two goals from Leroy Sane.
Leroy Sane bagged a brace as Manchester City beat Hoffenheim 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium to ensure they made it through to the last 16 of the Champions League as Group F winners.
City, who had already qualified, needed just a point to be certain of top spot but they fell behind to Andrej Kramaric’s 16th-minute penalty.
And he found the net again 16 minutes after the break as Pep Guardiola’s side bounced back from their Premier League loss away at Chelsea on Saturday, while Hoffenheim finish bottom of the table to miss out on the Europa League.
As they had done in three of their previous five group games in this season’s competition, City fell behind.
FULL-TIME | Sensational @LeroySane19 steers us into the last 16 as Group F winners! GET IN!
🔵 2-1 🔴 #cityvtsg #mancity pic.twitter.com/V5NIKodJeY
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 12, 2018
Aymeric Laporte was punished for clumsily pushing over Benjamin Hubner as he prepared to shoot when Nico Schulz’s scuffed effort dropped into his path, and Kramaric – who had earlier been denied by a brilliant Ederson save – stroked the spot-kick down the middle.
Gabriel Jesus headed against a post from five yards out following a corner before Ilkay Gundogan’s free-kick was diverted onto the crossbar by Joelinton’s header as City pushed for a response.
An equaliser finally arrived from another dead-ball situation as Sane’s attempt from a direct free-kick flew into the net from 30 yards out.
City continued to threaten from set-pieces after the resumption and Laporte should have atoned for giving away the earlier penalty but goalkeeper Oliver Baumann denied both his initial header and then also a follow-up attempt from point-blank range.
