Raheem Sterling wasted no time making an impact for Manchester City, scoring the opening goal on debut in a penalty shootout win over AS Roma on Tuesday night.
City’s new A$107m signing found the net in the third minute of the International Champions Cup match which finished at 2-2 but was eventually won by City 5-4 on penalties.
It was a perfect beginning to Sterling’s post-Liverpool career in front of a 41,134-strong crowd at the MCG.
Roma recovered from the shock to find an equaliser five minutes later before a 52nd minute goal from Nigerian Kelechi Iheanacho looked to have won the match for Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
It was not to be.
With three minutes remaining, Adem Ljajic stepped up to curl a fine free kick over the City wall and past Joe Hart.
For the second time in as many ICC matches, a penalty shoot-out was staged to decide a winner.
Aleksandr Kolarov sent City’s second spot kick into the MCG crowd, giving Seydou Doumbia the chance to win it for the Serie A side at 4-4.
But Hart saved successive shots in between James Horsfield’s winner to give City a 5-4 win on penalties.
Sterling, who was substituted at halftime, didn’t have it all his own way, with the MCG crowd subjecting the 20-year-old England international to pre-match boos.
The jeers turned to bronx cheers when Sterling fell over his own feet with his first touch in sky blue.
But just 142 seconds into the match he found the back of the net after Iheanacho’s fine pass beat the offside trap.
Roma’s stunning response came soon enough.
Bosnian international Miralem Pjanic received a lay-off from Gervinho, blasting home from 30 metres past Willy Caballero in the City goal.
This was a strike worthy of the prestigiously named ICC; in stark contrast to the turgid 0-0 draw his Roma side shared with Real Madrid three days earlier.
At the break, both sides made nine changes, with City substituting the whole side except for captain Vincent Kompany and Iheanacho.
The 18-year-old netted City’s second after former Chelsea fullback Ashley Cole’s nightmare backpass.
Cole’s routine effort flew high in the air and between his centre-backs, allowing Iheanacho to pounce and score with a fine drive.
The match looked to be in City’s pocket until a desperate tackle from Yaya Toure gave Roma a free kick on the edge of the area.
Up stepped Serbian Ljajic, who arced the ball impressively into the net in the 87th minute.
City’s resulting penalty shoot-out means they are in the box seat to win the Melbourne tournament on Friday when they play Real Madrid.
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