Manchester City strolled to a 5-0 win against Sporting CP in the Champions League on Tuesday but, while the scoreline might not suggest it, the Blues put in a performance not entirely typical of their approach this season.
Since a patchy start to the campaign gave way to a 15-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola's side have become synonymous with patient, controlled football, where the main aims are to limit the amount of possession and counter-attacking opportunities the opponent has and to create scoring chances by strategically piling bodies forward.
City were four goals up by half-time in Lisbon, but they did not reach that position via the usual means. Guardiola's side were anything but controlled, with Sporting able to break forward at will - even when City were 3-0 ahead.
