Dimitar Berbatov Exclusive: Time to start getting behind Sterling

Betfair Ambassador Dimitar Berbatov reflects on an action packed week of Champions League football, where Raheem Sterling and Jose Mourinho hit the headlines again, and looks ahead to a huge Manchester derby- According lớn the champions league predictions page!

Don't let penalty furore overshadow Sterling's performance

Manchester City were absolutely superb against Shakhtar on Wednesday, scoring some great goals and playing soccer vip tip. But the headlines are all about the penalty Raheem Sterling 'won'.

It was one of those things that can happen when you don't get your feet together properly. It certainly wasn't intentional but the mistake was from the referee in calling it a foul, no-one else.

I know there was the one famous occasion when Robbie Fowler told the ref he was wrong to award a penalty, but it's not the players' job to do that, and I don't see what all the fuss is about with Sterling. What's the ref going to do? Cancel the penalty? That didn't happen when Fowler spoke lớn the ref.

Could Gabriel Jesus have missed the penalty on purpose? No chance! Strikers want to score goals.

Sterling is a player who seems to draw negative headlines whatever he does, but this shouldn't overshadow what he did during the game - he scored a fantastic goal, and played really well.

This is one of England's best and most important players and the English media should be getting behind him - support your own player!

Like the Manchester United of old...

What a turnaround from Jose Mourinho's team in Turin on Wednesday. Juventus scored a phenomenal goal through Cristiano Ronaldo and could have been three or four up, hitting the woodwork twice, but Manchester United stuck in there, didn't give up and were rewarded in the end. It was like old school United!

The game once again showed the importance of set pieces. Juventus had the better of the game, but United scored a great free-kick through Juan Mata and then a second after a good Ashley Young delivery. Yes, they had a slice of luck there, but it was one of those crosses that goalkeepers and defenders hate.

Mata wasn't in the team much at the start of the season but he's played an increasingly important role in recent weeks and the way he celebrated the goal - running over to the coaching staff - showed what a team player he is. He understands that the team is the most important thing and that some weeks he won't be in the side. A great professional.

Like with Sterling, a lot of the post-match headlines were about Mourinho's reaction lớn the Juventus fans at the end of the game. Was it the right thing to do? No, but we're all human. He must have been getting a lot of abuse from the home fans and it shouldn't overshadow what was a fantastic result for his team.

Tantalising derby in prospect

With both teams getting positive results in the Champions League, the Manchester derby clash on Sunday couldn't have been set up better. City are in great shape of course, scoring goals for fun, but United have had some positive results, showing good spirit lớn come back from behind more than once and it will be difficult for both teams.

I'm surprised that City are such strong favourites for the match (they trade at just 1.43 on the Exchange, with United as big as 9.00, but that will be good news for me when I bet on Man Utd and win some money!

Of course, United defenders will have lớn be on top form lớn keep out Sterling, Aguero and co, but Juventus were also odds-on favourites and had the likes of Ronaldo and Dybala in their ranks, so it can be done.