CHERKI CAN RULE ROOST

Pep's Ray of sunshine proved his worth for City with masterclass at the Bernabeu

- BY TYRONE MARSHALL

ON the giant Bernabeu stage, Rayan Cherki produced one of his finest performances for Manchester City.

A 2-1 win over Real Madrid was enough to reintroduce City to the list of Champions League contenders this season, and they look more dangerous with the fearless Cherki in the team.

The playmaker began the half nutmegging Toni Rudiger and ended it by looping the ball over Alvaro Carreras - to the astonishment of both Real players.

It is one thing coming to the Spanish capital and being up for the challenge, but rarely do the home players see such audacity from their opponents.

And while Cherki's tricks boosted that confidence in a stadium where you can easily be swallowed up, he also had the accuracy to deliver a pinpoint corner for Nico O'Reilly's equaliser and test Thibaut Courtois on a number of other occasions.