In the duel of the 4th round of the Champions League group stage between Manchester City and Shakhtar (6: 0) there was a curious episode.

The forward of the hosts Rahim Sterling stumbled and fell in the penalty area of ??the Pitmen, and it seemed to the referee of the match Viktor Kashshai that Sterling was shot down, so he appointed a penalty.

After the match, the fans criticized Rahim for a dive, but the head coach of the City, Pep Guardiola, is sure that the player did not pretend.

“Criticism towards Sterling is unfair,” began Guardiola.

"He didn't dive. He wanted to hit the ball and made a mistake.. People say that he provoked a penalty, but this 11-meter kick is the referee’s fault, not Rahim’s ”.

"I understand why they say this, and it will only make him stronger. Now Sterling is more psychologically stable than in my first year in the City. Now he controls emotions much better. ".

"We must not forget that he is only 23 years old. He has not yet formed as a person or as a player in full. Sometimes we demand too much from our players, who are still very young, "concluded Guardiola.

Earlier, Rahim Sterling apologized for the episode from a penalty in front of Kashshai and Shakhtar.