Manchester City v AS Roma video: Sterling shines on debut in penalty win over Roma

RAHEEM Sterling got a taste of what to expect this season but also gave a glimpse of what he can do after his controversial $102m transfer from Liverpool.

Manchester City player Raheem Sterling during the International Champions Cup game at the MCG in Melbourne, Tuesday, July 21, 2014. (AAP Image/Julian Smith) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

RAHEEM Sterling got a taste of what to expect this season but he also gave a glimpse of what can be expected of him after his controversial $102m transfer from Liverpool.

Less than a minute into his Manchester City debut Sterling tripped over the ball, drawing a bronx cheer from a section of the 43,134 MCG crowd.

Within three minutes he brought the punters to their feet, calmly slotting home Kelechi Iheanacho’s ball after breaking Roma’s offside trap.

BLOG: Re-live the pulsating four-goal game

The 45-minute debut of Sterling, 20, and the performances of Nigerian Iheanacho, 18, and Portuguese Marcos Lopes, 19, was cause for optimism for manager Manuel Pellegrini and a club desperate to yield success from its academy.

Raheem Sterling celebrates after scoring on debut against Roma.

City won 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in last night’s International Champions Cup encounter, with both sides experimenting although most of their stars featured at some stage.

Roma departs Melbourne today and manager Rudi Garcia will be content with their two performances.

Though last Saturday’s clash was lacklustre, Garcia’s reaction when Adem Ljajic equalised with a splendid dipping 87th minute free-kick indicated that the tournament was far from a picnic.

Both Roma goals were top shelf, with Miralem Pjanic scoring their first after eight minutes with a venomous strike from 25 metres after a Gervinho lay-off.

Iheanacho pounced on a woeful backpass from substitute Ashley Cole six minutes after half-time, though an exquisite first touch gave him time to slot it past Morgan De Sanctis.

Cole was almost caught out again by a nippy Jesus Navas in the 68th minute, but City’s failure to capitalise on several chances allowed Ljajic’s late free-kick to take the game to penalties where sub keeper Joe Hart was the hero, saving twice and scoring himself.

Both sides made 11 changes, but the fact that most were made at the break allowed the game to flow.

ROMA 2 (Pjanic 8, Ljajic 87), MANCHESTER CITY 2 (Sterling 3, Iheanacho 51)

International Champions Cup — Australia 2015

City won 5-4 on penalties

Crowd: 43,134 at the MCG

City goalkeeper Joe Hart stops the Seydou Keita penalty kick giving City the win. Pic: Michael Klein

Roma (4-3-3): De Sanctis (Lobont 65); Florenzi (Maicon 46), Manolas (Mbiwa 46), Romagnoli (Castan 46), Torosidis (Cole 46); De Rossi (Keita 46), Ucan (Nainggolam 46), Pjanic (Doumbia 65); Iturbe (Falque 46), Gervinho (Ljajic 46), Totti (Destro 46).

Man City (4-1-3-2): Caballero (Hart 46); Sagna (Horsfield 46), Kompany (Evans 82), Mangala (Denayer 46), Clichy (Kolarov 46); Fernando (Toure 46); Zuculini (Nasri 46), Garcia (Barker 46), Iheanacho (Unal 73); Silva (Navas 46), Sterling (Lopes 46).

Referee: Jarred Gillett (AUS)

Davutovic’s man of the match:

Raheem Sterling (City)

Sizzled on his City debut despite a nervy start, scoring once and super stiff not to win a penalty after Alessandro Florenzi clearly brought him down.