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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Shakhtar beat Manchester City 2-1 to reach last 16

Soccer Football - Champions League - Shakhtar Donetsk vs Manchester City - Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv, Ukraine - December 6, 2017 Manchester City's Sergio Aguero scores their second goal from the penalty spot Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

(Reuters) - Shakhtar Donetsk booked a Champions League knockout-stage berth after first-half goals by Brazilians Bernard and Ismaily gave the Ukrainian side a 2-1 win over Manchester City in Group F on Wednesday.

City, who suffered their first defeat of the season in any competition, finished top with 15 points, three more than Shakhtar and nine ahead of third-placed Napoli who dropped into the Europa League after a 2-1 defeat at bottom team Feyenoord.

With one eye on Sunday's Premier League Manchester derby against United, City coach Pep Guardiola rested his entire first-choice back four and Shakhtar took advantage as they romped into a 2-0 lead before halftime.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Shakhtar Donetsk vs Manchester City - Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv, Ukraine - December 6, 2017 Manchester City's Yaya Toure in action Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

Needing only a draw to be sure of qualifying, the home side launched waves of attacks instead of sitting back as Bernard curled a superb shot from 15 metres past City keeper and compatriot Ederson in the 26th minute.

Ismaily added the second six minutes later, capitalising on Ederson's error and beating him to a long ball by Marlos before stroking it into an empty net to delight a full house in Kharkiv, where Shakhtar played their group home fixtures.

Taison twice fired narrowly over the bar either side of the break as Shakhtar kept up the pressure before late substitute Sergio Aguero netted a stoppage-time penalty for City.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Shakhtar Donetsk vs Manchester City - Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv, Ukraine - December 6, 2017 Manchester City's Sergio Aguero shoots at goal REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Aguero blasted his spot-kick past keeper Andriy Pyatov but it was scant consolation for City coach Pep Guardiola, who had little to cheer on his 100th Champions League appearance as manager.

The draw for the last 16 is in Nyon, Switzerland, on Monday and Premier League leaders City will head a pack of five English teams in the knockout stages, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also through.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Shakhtar Donetsk vs Manchester City - Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv, Ukraine - December 6, 2017 Shakhtar Donetsk fans REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

(Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic; Editing by Ed Osmond, Neville Dalton)

Soccer Football - Champions League - Shakhtar Donetsk vs Manchester City - Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv, Ukraine - December 6, 2017 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Shakhtar Donetsk coach Paulo Fonseca REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Soccer Football - Champions League - Shakhtar Donetsk vs Manchester City - Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv, Ukraine - December 6, 2017 Manchester City's Fernandinho heads at goal Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
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