- Manchester City won the second leg of the round of 16 in the Champions League against Copenhagen 3-1 and is in the quarter-finals.
- Two early goals – one of them from Manuel Akanji – dashed Denmark’s already small hopes of a miracle early on.
- In the other second leg on Wednesday evening, Real Madrid continues to tremble thanks to a 1-1 draw against Leipzig.
It was already clear in advance that it would be difficult for Copenhagen away from home in Manchester. The “Citizens” have been unbeaten at home in the Champions League for 29 games. In order to make up for the 1:3 loss from the first leg, the Danes would have needed the much-quoted football miracle.
Unsurprisingly, nothing came of it. City coach Pep Guardiola gave numerous regular players such as Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva a break. Others demonstrated their scoring skills.
Two corners, two goals
One of them was Manuel Akanji. The Swiss national team defender was insufficiently protected from a corner and hit the crossbar with a volley in the 5th minute. For Akanji it was the third goal in the premier class.
Just minutes later, Julian Alvarez (9th) increased the score to 2-0 after another corner. A header from Rodri hit the crossbar. After the Danes failed to control the ball, it ended up with the Argentine, who shot from the left edge of the penalty area. Kamil Grabara didn’t cut a good figure. The central goal slipped through the hands of the Copenhagen goalie.
Lots of ball pushing, few highlights
This made what was already a difficult undertaking practically impossible for Copenhagen. The Danes would have needed 4 goals at this point to at least force extra time. Mohamed Elyounoussi (29th) ensured that there were “only” three left at the moment. Erling Haaland restored the two-goal lead before the break.
In the second half, which was a bit disjointed due to numerous substitutions, City skillfully let the ball circulate within their own ranks with countless passes. However, Guardiola’s team rarely created any real danger. The “Citizens” had already fulfilled their obligation before the break.
This is how it goes
Who Manchester City will face in the quarter-finals will be decided in the draw on Friday, March 15th. After the successful compulsory task against Copenhagen, the “Citizens” are now focusing entirely on Sunday. The top game in the Premier League is against leader Liverpool. With a win, City could overtake the “Reds” and take over the top of the table.