There were eight goals at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night but none of them could hold a candle to the opener in the evening’s other Champions League game.
Saúl Ñíguez has been targeted by some of Europe’s top clubs, not least Manchester City’s neighbours, and on the strength of this effort it’s easy to see why.
The Atlético Madrid midfielder might not be known specifically for his goalscoring exploits, but he can use his wand of a left foot when he wants.
Saúl scored a crucial Champions League semi-final goal last season as Atléti edged past Bayern Munich, and he must like playing against German opposition after netting with an even more impressive strike in the 4-2 win away at Bayer Leverkusen.
Diego Simeone’s side have one foot in the quarter-final after the away win, which also featured goals from Antoine Griezmann, Kévin Gameiro and Fernando Torres.
But the first goal was the highlight, and is one of those strikes you can watch over and over and over again.
Better call Saul! Stunning finish from @saulniguez. 👌👌👌 #UCL #B04Atleti https://t.co/0k0FpJ8m7P
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 21, 2017
It’s clear Atlético Madrid will be a danger once more in this season’s competition. Can they go one better than last season and actually win the whole thing?
Catch up with this week’s episode of 888sport Football Friday Live
