Champions League: Manchester City seal incredible win late on as Atletico upstage Cristiano Ronaldo

Raheem Sterling sealed a dramatic 3-2 Champions League win for 10-man Manchester City at Schalke with a last-minute goal. But it wasn’t such great news for Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus.

Raheem Sterling was the hero for Manchester City with his late strike.

Raheem Sterling sealed a dramatic 3-2 Champions League win for 10-man Manchester City at Schalke as the English champions scored twice in the last five minutes.

Sterling tucked away the winner at the Veltins Arena in the 90th minute just after substitute Leroy Sane fired home a stunning free-kick for the Premier League leaders against his former club in the last 16, first leg.

Schalke led 2-1 at half-time as the video assistant referee (VAR) twice intervened to award penalties, both converted by Nabil Bentaleb, cancelling out Sergio Aguero’s opener in Gelsenkirchen.

Raheem Sterling rolls home the winner past Ralf Faehrmann.

City were in real trouble with 22 minutes left when Nicolas Otamendi, who gave away the controversial first penalty, was sent off for a second yellow card before Sane’s moment of brilliance and Sterling’s winner.

However, City still have some work to do in the return leg on March 13 with Fernandinho, who was booked when conceding the second spot-kick, and Otamendi both suspended.

Schalke are just above the Bundesliga’s relegation places and winless in their last four league games, yet they gave Premier League leaders City an almighty scare.

City manager Pep Guardiola insisted he had no problem with the use of VAR.

“I think so, they are two penalties, I trust VAR,” said Guardiola.

“I have arguments sometimes but not this time. They are both penalties.”

However, Guardiola warned his side will have to drastically improve if they are to win the competition for the first time after letting a Schalke side languishing in 14th in the Bundesliga back into the game despite Sergio Aguero’s early opener.

“It was a great result. We gave them two penalties, we gave them a red card and in this competition that is not too good. We are still not ready to fight for the later stages, but the result is good,” he said.

It was a tough night at the office for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League mission with Juventus stalled as Atletico Madrid secured a deserved 2-0 victory from a thrilling first leg at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Ronaldo returned to the Spanish capital, where he enjoyed unprecedented success in this tournament with Real, but it was their rivals celebrating at the final whistle as goals from Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin put Atletico within sight of the quarter-finals.

This was a victory that Diego Simeone’s side fully deserved. Antoine Griezmann had hit the crossbar while VAR twice intervened, correctly, in Juve’s favour, cancelling a first-half penalty for a foul on Diego Costa and then ruling out an Alvaro Morata header shortly before Gimenez struck.

Juve are certainly not dead and buried yet, particularly given Costa and Thomas Partey will both be suspended for the return in Turin after each picked up yellow cards here.

But the failure to score an away goal, and their clear inferiority for much of the second half, does not bode well for their hopes of a comeback.