Manchester City 2-0 Shakhtar Donetsk: 5 Talking Points

#3: Fernandinho: The Unsung Hero

Fernandinho was instrumental in City's defence.

On a night where City's midfield made headlines, Fernandinho was quite the unsung warrior in the Citizens' squad.

Facing his former club where he plied his trade for eight seasons, Fernandinho was instrumental in the defence. He was easily the best player at Etihad in the first half after making some crucial tackles and blocks as the midfielders struggled to break the deadlock. It was Fernandinho's inch-perfect slide-tackle on Fred that saved City from trailing Shakhtar Donetsk.

Playing as a centre midfielder in a three-man midfield, the Brazilian's role of dropping back to defend helped Kyle Walker and Fabian Delph to make attacking runs on either side. This was an added incentive for Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne who could pile pressure on the Shakhtar's defenders.

A player who can be great going forward, Fernandinho's sacrifice to stay back and hold the midfield will certainly not go unappreciated by boss Pep Guardiola.