City pull off dramatic comeback

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP): Manchester City scored two late goals, including a 90th-minute winner from Raheem Sterling, to beat Schalke 3-2 in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League yesterday on another night when the video assistant referee was a talking point.

After Leroy Sane equalised for 10-man City in the 85th with a curling free kick against his former club, Sterling got the better of Bastian Oczipka after chasing a long clearance from goalkeeper Ederson Moraes and calmly finished into the bottom corner.

Trailing to Sergio Aguero's 19th-minute goal, Schalke needed help from the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) in scoring two penalties during a chaotic seven-minute span at the end of the first half.

The German team was awarded the first of its penalties when Nicolas Otamendi was adjudged to have handled a shot from Daniel Caligiuri. After a delay of nearly four minutes -- the referee was not helped by the pitchside monitor reportedly not working -- Nabil Bentaleb converted from the spot in the 38th.

The midfielder did so again in the 45th and this time the decision was more straightforward after Fernandinho, playing as a makeshift centre back, tugged back Salif Sane at a free kick.

Otamendi was handed a second yellow card in the 68th for a foul on substitute Guido Burgstaller but City still managed to recover in Gelsenkirchen.

The English champions are still in the hunt for trophies on four fronts this season. They are top of the English Premier League, play in the final of the English League Cup on Sunday, and are into the quarter-finals of the English FA Cup.