Sterling makes quick impact at City

Although the Giallorossi played deeper than their opponents, both Roma and Manchester City kept creating chances of their own.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini couldn’t have been happier with Raheem Sterling’s unofficial debut for the club in a pre-season friendly against Roma and feels the £49m star will only keep getting better as he adapts to his new team.

Sterling, a skilful and quick attacker who joined Liverpool from Queens Park Rangers’ academy in 2010, is one of English soccer’s top young players and an established member of the national team after making his global debut in 2012.

Aleksandar Kolarov missed City’s second spot kick but Hart parried away a weak effort from Seydou Doumbia and also denied Seydou Keita to clinch the global Champions Cup victory in front of 41,134.

Sterling should have been awarded a penalty mid-way through the first half when he was taken down by Alessandro Florenzi after he twisted past the defender in the box, but the referee waved play on.

And after being handed a starting berth against Roma in Melbourne, he took just two minutes and 17 seconds to open his account in the blue of Manchester City.

Sterling – who had drawn Bronx cheers from the crowd for falling over the ball just a minute before his goal – looked lively and eager to link up with David Silva at the sharp end of the City attack.

Roma coach Rudi Garcia was buoyed in defeat by his side’s fight and two quality goals that saw them equalise twice.

Nigerian teenager Iheanacho put City ahead again on 51 minutes when he zeroed in on an very bad back pass by former England global Ashley Cole to coolly beat De Sanctis from close range.

Raheem Sterling says he is disappointed with how he left things at Liverpool following his move to Manchester City last week.

“I am sure he is the player that we need in our team, that’s the reason why we bought him”. I just think you have to move on. He demonstrated why he s here, not only his value as a player, he s a very young player so I think he will improve a lot in the future, playing with Yaya Toure, David Silva and the others.

The Chilean told reporters: “Well it is always important for the strikers to score”.