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Man City 3-1 Copenhagen (agg 6-2): Champions League holders stroll into quarter-finals with Erling Haaland netting his 29th of the season after Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez strikes

Manchester City have warmed up nicely for Anfield. Warm in the sense that most of the main protagonists spent all or some of last night under blankets.

City earned the right by how they performed in Copenhagen three weeks ago, an almost flawless away display in Europe where they strangled high octane opposition in a stadium that has consumed others.

Earned the right to make seven changes and still breeze into the Champions League’s last eight for a seventh consecutive year, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United the only other English team to have managed that before. It’s 10 wins on the bounce, something previously achieved by just Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Some company.

And they’ve now scored three in all of this season’s eight fixtures, in defence of a crown they had toiled to lift for so long. One thing is for sure, when the draw for the quarters is made a week tomorrow, all of them will be desperate to avoid Pep Guardiola’s City.

There are bigger tests on the horizon after cantering to dispatch Copenhagen. While Sunday afternoon on Merseyside will not define the league campaign, affording Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden a full night off at this stage is a great luxury. Guardiola admitted that fatigue contributed. Foden and Silva told him how tired they were after the weekend.

Erling Haaland matched Sergio Aguero’s Champions League goals tally in Man City’s 3-1 win over Copenhagen

Manuel Akanji had opened the scoring early on in the game with a brilliant close-range finish

Julian Alvarez was fortunate in scoring his second after Copenhagen stopper Kamil Grabara made a shocking error

‘Today I needed energy,’ Guardiola said. ‘Some of my players are exhausted. When you play Wednesday, they allow you to play Saturday in all the other countries in the world. Did I talk to the Premier League about that? No way. You know the answer: the broadcasters pay a lot of money so shut up.’

MATCH FACTS

MAN CITY (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias (Stones 68′), Gvardiol; Rodri (Gómez  45′), Kovacic; Nunes (Hamilton 74′), Bobb, Álvarez; Haaland Wright 88′)

Subs not used: Walker, Aké, De Bruyne, Ortega, Silva, Carson, Foden, Susoho

Goals: Akanji 5′, Alvarez 9′, Haaland 45+3′

Manager: Pep Guardiola

COPENHAGEN (3-4-2-1): Grabara; Vavro, Diks, McKenna; Ankersen, Clem (Højlund 69′), Elyounoussi, Jelert (Meling 78′); Froholdt (Mattsson 58′), Achouri (Bardghji 58′); Óskarsson (Cornelius 69′)

Subs not used: Sørensen, Larsson, Boilesen, Rúnarsson, Buur

Goal: Elyounoussi 29′

Booked: Mattsson, Cornelius

Manager: Jacob Neestrup 

Referee: Espen Eskås

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Fortunately for him, he has hunger in the ranks, with Oscar Bobb impressive and Rico Lewis his usual steady self, while Julian Alvarez and Mateo Kovacic played smart. Other academy products, Micah Hamilton and Jacob Wright, entered for their third and second senior appearances.

Oh, and Erling Haaland scored. Obviously.

Whether Copenhagen’s 2,300 travelling supporters actually entertained the notion of upsetting Europe’s hierarchy as they supped the cheap Taddy lager in Exchange Square’s Oyster Bar is somewhat debatable. Maybe some did. 

The general mood from the Danish champions, who only lie in third in the Superliga this season, is that this felt like an exercise in futility but an exercise they will embrace nevertheless.

All of it went inside nine minutes. The hope, a vague hope. They still sang behind that goal, because why wouldn’t you, and some of those from Scandinavia who’d shelled out for posh seats behind the benches celebrated every tackle or clearance in a slightly loud, embarrassed fashion.

The hope squirmed through Kamil Grabara’s gloves. Julian Alvarez’s goal but really it belonged to the former Liverpool goalkeeper. Alvarez’s initial corner had been headed against the bar by Rodri, unmarked at the back post, cleared back out to the Argentine and he decided to hit an area around the near post.

Grabara, wearing a mask, ought to have eaten it. Instead his fingers buckled while attempting to catch, that painfully slow-motion moment when ball dribbles over line and goalkeeper turns helplessly. Grabara wore a look of sorrow, not Zorro.

Grabara allowed the ball to fly through his grasp at the near post for Alvarez's second goal

Grabara allowed the ball to fly through his grasp at the near post for Alvarez’s second goal

Mohamed Elyounoussi netted for the visitors on 29 minutes to give them a brief glimmer of hope

Mohamed Elyounoussi netted for the visitors on 29 minutes to give them a brief glimmer of hope

City were already two up then, 5-1 on aggregate. The first was ridiculously simple, an Alvarez outswinging corner aimed at Manuel Akanji. 

Peter Ankersen’s marking was nowhere near tight enough, eight yards out, and Akanji calmly side-footed a volley into the corner in the fifth minute. A controlled finish that left City’s No 9 nodding in approval.

The Etihad lulled. At one point, City held the ball for an entire five minutes without their visitors touching it. And the trouble is, when things feel that easy then the intensity and will drop – even in the interim.

So when they gave up possession high up the pitch and Jacob Neestrup’s side transitioned quickly over halfway, Mohamed Elyounoussi dangerously breaking for Ederson’s area, Copenhagen were in. The ex-Southampton winger, playing through the middle here, swapped passes with Orri Oskarsson and slipped into Ederson’s corner. Game on? Probably not.

Jacob Neestrup¿s side transitioned quickly over halfway in the build-up for their goal but were unable to register a second

Jacob Neestrup’s side transitioned quickly over halfway in the build-up for their goal but were unable to register a second

Pep Guardiola and Co prepared for their trip to Anfield at the weekend in perfect fashion

Pep Guardiola and Co prepared for their trip to Anfield at the weekend in perfect fashion

The holders go into the hat for the next round as perhaps the team to beat for their rivals

A dislocated finger for Matheus Nunes was the only real injury of note for the champions

A dislocated finger for Matheus Nunes was the only real injury of note for the champions

Definitely not by first-half stoppage time, Haaland dumping Nottingham Forest loanee Scott McKenna on his behind and powered into the near corner. A landmark goal for Haaland, who equalled Sergio Aguero’s European record of 41 goals in this competition.

Aguero, arguably the greatest natural goalscorer in Premier League history, took 79 matches to reach that total. Haaland’s done it in 37. Another mind-bending statistic to go with the rest.

Notorious for his caution when it comes to these nights, often paying the ultimate respect to occasions that should pose City no tangible problems, even Guardiola realised the tie was done. 

Rodri – who had assisted Haaland, just like during the Manchester derby – was hooked, Sergio Gomez given a run out in his place. If ever there was evidence that City were relaxed, this was it.


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