MAN CITY 3, FC COPENHAGEN 1
(Man City won 6-2 on aggregate)
Manchester City’s passage to the quarter finals of the Champions League was, as expected, a stroll in the park on yet another record-breaking night for Pep Guardiola’s side.
City matched the result in the Danish capital with another 3-1 victory against FC Copenhagen with goals from Manuel Akanji, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland.
But in doing so they also created another record as they became the first English side to win 10 straight matches in the Champions League and only the third team overall as they joined Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
City are the first side in major European competition history to score three-plus goals in nine consecutive home matches, a run which started with a 5-0 win over FC Copenhagen back in October 2022.
They also maintained their impressive scoring record on the competition this season – they have scored at least three goals in each of their eight games.
It was achieved with minimal effort as Guardiola achieved this victory with effectively his second string with most of his key men on the bench, clearly to conserve energy for this weekend’s massive match at Liverpool in a clash of the Premier League’s top two.
Guardiola explained his team selection was influenced by the effort and energy expended in Sunday’s derby.
“I knew how tired and exhausted they were three days after playing Manchester United, and I needed fresh legs,” he said.
Embed from Getty Images“Phil [Foden] told me he was so tired and that is in the minds of the players.
“We are the only country which expects us to play on a Wednesday after playing on Sunday. Usually teams are allowed to play on Saturday before a Champions League game.”
Guardiola was asked whether he had made representations to the Premier League with his concerns.
“They say ‘we pay a lot of money so shut up and play on Sunday’,” he replied.
City’s manager said that is why they have a squad of 20 players, and he was mindful they would all be needed over the course of a season, though some will play more than others.”
Guardiola added they were “lucky” to score two early goals against opponents who are “so dangerous and tricky” as that helped them.
He also spoke of the achievement of reaching the last eight of the Champions League for a seventh successive season and is “incredibly” happy to still be involved in the three major competitions.
Guardiola made seven changes to the side that beat Manchester United 3-1 on Sunday as he clearly has eyes on this weekend’s top-of-the-table clash at Liverpool.
Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb and Matheus Nunes were among the starters with Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden named as substitutes.
Copenhagen are third in the Danish Superliga and were replaced at the top by Midtjylland who they lost 2-0 to at the weekend.
Scotland international defender Scott McKenna, on loan from Nottingham Forest, started while Oscar Hojlund, the younger brother of Manchester United striker Rasmus, was on the bench.
City made a dream start and found themselves 2-0 ahead inside nine minutes.
They took the lad when Akanji volleyed home Alvarez’s corner from 10 yards for his fifth goal of the season.
That quickly became two following a calamitous goalkeeping error from Kamil Hrabara, the former Liverpool and Huddersfield Town keeper.
Rodri headed Alvarez’s corner against the bar at the far post. The ball was cleared back to Alvarez who fired an angled shot straight at Hrabara with the ball slipping through his hands, an elementary error for his 16th of the season.
It was going to be a long night for the Danes and soon after Josko Gvardiol saw an effort land on the roof of the net.
Copenhagen weathered the storm and halved the deficit just short of the half hour after City turned over the ball in defence.
The Danes quicky broke forward and former Southampton star Mohamed Elyounoussi played a return pass with Orri Oskarsson before slotting a shot low to the left of Ederson from 12 yards.
City regained their composure and restored a two-goal advantage in stoppage time,
Haaland raced on to Rodri’s through ball and turned a couple of defenders before firing low to the left of Grabara for his 41st Champions League goal in only 37 appearances in the competition.
City, 6-2 ahead on aggregate, made a change at break as Rodri made way for Sergio Gomez.
The start to the second period was uneventful until the Danes almost grabbed a second midway through the half.
Elyounoussi threaded a pass to substitute Magnus Mattsson whose shot was well saved by Ederson.
City made two further changes as Ruben Dias was replaced by John Stones while Micah Hamilton came on for the injured Nunes who fell awkwardly and damaged his fingers.
And in the 88th minute there was a fourth change as Jacob Wright was handed his European debut as he replaced Haaland.
City almost added a fourth goal in stoppage time when Lewis’ drive struck the crossbar.