FC Basel 0-4 Manchester City: Player Ratings

Manchester City travelled to Switzerland for the first leg of their Round of 16 tie against FC Basel. They looked to put the tie to bed in the first leg itself and they did succeed in doing so.

The first half was very clearly just a one-sided affair. Manchester City attacked at will and breezed to a 3-goal advantage in just a wink. Ilkay Gundogan headed in the first from a corner while Bernardo Silva scored the second with a well-placed volley. Sergio Aguero then scored the final goal of the half from distance, placing the ball into the bottom left corner with precision.

The second half was a less tormenting period for the Basel fans and players, as City could only manage a single goal, courtesy a beautiful strike from Ilkay Gundogan. On that note, here's a look at how players performed for either side:

FC Basel

Tomas Vaclik: 7.5/10

While Vaclik did make a few great saves and blocks throughout the match, this was definitely not his best performance. He should have probably saved the Aguero goal.

Taulant Xhaka: 5/10

Xhaka had a shocker of the game. Though many might argue that he was not provided adequate cover by his midfield, Xhaka could still have done a better job at keeping City away. He moved into the midfield in the second half and was better thereon.

Leo Lacroix: 4/10

A completely underwhelming performance as he was nowhere to be found during City's goals.His missed headed clearance fell for Bernardo Sliva, who then went on to score with a fine volley. He would like to forget the night quite quickly.

Marek Suchy: 5/10

Like his centre-back partner, Suchy too had a miserable performance at the heart of FC Basel’s defence. He was left for dead by Aguero and company throughout the match and never really could put up a fight against City attackers, especially in the first half. He did make a few important interceptions and tackles to keep the scoreline respectable.

Michael Lang: 5/10

Though he started well, he faded as the match wore on. He did not trouble Fabian Delph much and did not quite track the runs of City attackers on his side, who looked dangerous. He should be disappointed with how things turned out.

Fabian Frei: 5/10

The central defensive midfielder was fairly anonymous and was effectively marked out of the game by City's midfielders. He will look forward to improving his performance after a tough outing.

Geoffroy Serey Die: 5/10

Serey Die put in a decent display in the midfield as he screened his defence to some extent and also distributed the ball intelligently. However, he struggled against Kevin De Bruyne and lost him several times.

Bias Riveros: 3.5/10

One of many Basel players who could not perform to their full potential, he struggled in defence as Silva and Kyle Walker looked quite threatening on his side of the pitch. He did not contribute much to attack too apart from a few decent runs.

Valentin Stocker: 4/10

This was again a game to forget for Stocker, who has been one of Basel's better player this season, barring this fixture. He struggled to cause too many problems and his final passes were poor. He failed to provide any end product as Basel struggled to score.

Mohamed Elyounoussi: 4.5/10

Elyounooussi worked hard tirelessly but could not get better of Vincent Kompany or Nicolas Otamendi. His decision making was quite erratic and he never could get in any decent attacking positions.

Dimitri Oberlin: 5.5/10

The forward made one or two excellent runs across the box but without any end product. He certainly was one of the better attackers for Basel and certainly could have used some help from his teammates.

Substitutes:

Albian Ajeti: 5/10

Brought on for Stocker when the game was truly out of hand for Basel, he did nothing to change the outcome. One can argue that he did not have enough time to score or do much with the ball.

Kevin Bua: N/A

Was brought on to replace Mohamed Elyounoussi in the 85th minute, but didn't have enough time to influence the game.

Manchester City

Ederson: 6.5/10

The Brazillian international started this crucial match in between the posts but basically acted as a deep-lying sweeper more than a goalkeeper. He was solid at the back, though he wasn't tested much. Great outing overall with efficient distribution from the back.

Kyle Walker: 8/10

The English fullback was immense last night. He took on players in attack and never allowed any Basel player to have any sort of joy on his side. Great outing for him. His understanding with City midfielders is superb and was on full show yesterday.

Vincent Kompany: 8/10

The Belgium international put in a good performance at the heart of the defence. He did not shy away from challenges and played the ball out well.

Nicolas Otamendi: 7/10

Otamendi had a good game as he dominated and won everything that came his way in the air. He won tackles, made blocks and clearances and was a calm head in the heart of the City defence. He was taken off at halftime.

Fabian Delph: 7/10

Back in his left-back role after an injury, he produced an amazing performance. He did make a couple of penetrating runs in the attack along with recycling the ball well. In defence, he was solid and never allowed the wide players to cut in or put in a cross.

Kevin De Bruyne: 7.5/10

His passing was awesome, his tackling was great and he made a few penetrating runs which always caused problems for Basel. He, alongside Gundogan, absolutely bossed the midfield for Manchester City.

Fernandinho: 7.5/10

The Brazil International was influential throughout the game. He broke plays and started attacks from his own half. This was a good commanding display from him in the middle of the park.

Ilkay Gundogan: 9/10

Written off and ridiculed due to his fitness history, this German International certainly knows how to shut his critics up. He scored two on the night and was almost always a threat in attack as he broke up Basel's midfield lines with ease.

Bernardo Silva: 8/10

The Portuguese international looked sharp and dictated things for Barcelona from the midfield. His turns and touches were delightful to watch. The highlight of his game was when he scored his goal with a well controlled, beautiful volley.

Sergio Aguero: 8/10

Aguero was a constant thorn in Basel’s defence and constantly out-muscled their defenders. He took his goal well with a fine finish like that of a guided missile. He combined well with his fellow attack players.

Raheem Sterling: 6.5/10

Sterling had a rare quiet game considering his performances all season long. Although he did not do much wrong, he was also not much involved in the attacking play. He missed a glorious one on one chance after he failed to control a delicious long ball over Basel's defence.

Substitutes:

David Silva: 7/10

Was involved in the game for the last half an hour or so, he looked quite dangerous and did show quite a few nifty turns and touches.

Leroy Sane: 6/10

Brought on for Sterling in the 57th minute, Sane could not open his goalscoring account in this season's UEFA Champions League. His movements were sharp and ball control smooth. Should definitely get more first-team action now that he has returned from injury.

Danilo: N/A

Danilo was introduced as a substitute for Sergio Aguero in the 85th minute, by which time the game was more or less wrapped up. As such, the Brazilian didn't have much to do.

Edited by Aakanksh Sanketh