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Man City's Leroy Sane nets powerful dipping free kick in Champions League

By Alex Butler
Manchester City's Leroy Sane scores on a penalty kick during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester City on Wednesday in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Photo by Friedemann Vogel/EPA-EFE
Manchester City's Leroy Sane scores on a penalty kick during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester City on Wednesday in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Photo by Friedemann Vogel/EPA-EFE

Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Manchester City star Leroy Sane netted a powerful free kick for an equalizer in the Sky Blues' 3-2 win against Schalke 04 in a Champions League matchup.

Sane's sinking shot came in the 85th minute of the first leg match on Wednesday at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

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Sergio Aguero gave the Sky Blues their initial lead with a score in the 18th minute. Nabil Bentaleb equalized with a penalty kick in the 38th minute before making another penalty try in the 45th minute to give Schalke a 2-1 edge at halftime.

The sides played a scoreless second half before Sane struck from more than 20 yards out to tie the score in the 40 minutes into the second frame. Sane entered the match as a 78th minute substitute for Aguero.

He dug in his left boot for the blast, sending the ball dipping into the right side of the net past a diving Ralf Fahrmann.

Raheem Sterling added the game-winner in the 90th minute, giving the Sky Blues the edge in the round of 16 series.

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"We knew it would be a tough game here, like it always is in the Champions League," Sane told ManCity.com.

"In the end, we did it. We scored three goals away from home and that was the most important thing, to score goals away. Now, we'll see what happens in the return."

City faces Chelsea in the Football League Cup final at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Wembley Stadium in London. The Sky Blues return to the Champions League battle against Schalke at 4 p.m. March 12 at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England.

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