Tickets for the quarter-finals of the Champions League have been virtually closed as of tonight Manchester City.
The European champion prevailed 3-1 her Copenhagen in store “parken” and – at least in theory – turned the March 6th rematch into… formal procedure.
Major protagonists for the “citizens” are De Bruyne and Foden. A little more for the former, on the one hand because he made his first appearance in the tournament this year (as he had missed the group games due to his injury), on the other hand because scored (10′) also having two assists.
Goal (90’+2′) and assist and from him Fodenby Bernardo Silva to give his team the lead again before the end of the first half (45’+1′)
For a City universally superior, with their opponent having equalized in the 34th minute with the Matson, against the flow of the race. The newly acquired 24-year-old midfielder (the Danes made him theirs about two weeks ago from Nijmegen) was making his first career appearance in the Champions League, combining it with a goal!
Injury problem and forced change for Gryllis at 21′.
It should be noted that this was the ninth straight win of Pep Guardiola’s side in the competition, meaning they are now the English team with the longest winning streak in Champions League history!
At the same time, the first team in the competition’s history to score 3+ goals in seven consecutive matches. And that’s because City in both the six group games and tonight, he scored three goals each time!
The match:
As expected, City took the initiative of the moves from the start, even creating very important opportunities early on. It wasn’t until the 4th minute that De Bruyne missed with a header, while in the 6th minute Grabara initially put a “stop” on Diaz, only to see Ake on the covers fail to score by taking the “rebound” in a terribly advantageous spot (but having been taken by surprise already).
After all, Pep Guardiola’s team cashed in on their dominant “beat” in the match at 10′: THE Foden he brought down exemplary and converged from the left, made an excellent vertical pass to him De Bruynewho sent the ball into the net for the 0-1.
The goal did not bring about any change in the image of the match, with the hosts remaining closed in their… shell. What changed quickly was City’s line-up, as o Gryllis was injured giving to 21′ his position in Doku.
The “citizens” continued to threaten. In the 23′ they had beamwhen Bernardo made the left turn, with Vavro to accidentally send the ball into the crossbar of his team’s goal, while at 30′ Haaland tried, unsuccessfully, to catch a terribly ambitious turn.
To get to 34′when, against the flow of the match, Copenhagen equalized (1-1). A phase that carries a huge responsibility o Anderson, with the home side capitalizing on his errant pass and recovering at a crucial point. The ball reached the Matson who with a terrible one-piece shot from the height of the area, sent it into the net!
Despite this and despite Matson’s new shot in the 40th minute, City managed to respond (1-2) before half-time, with a goal quite identical to her first: Nice energy by him De Bruyne from the left (from where Foden had started his at 0-1). Although he seems to lose the ball, while falling towards the ground he managed to pass it to Bernardo Silva who with a pinch (and he too from about the spot where De Bruyne scored before) sent it into the net.
The two teams started the second half without changes. City continued to control the tempo, but with the pace dropping considerably.
Copenhagen’s corner moment in the 50th minute was worthy, but it came to nothing, with the visitors then threatening with shots from De Bruyne (54′), Haaland (64′) and Foden (66′).
New important moments for City with Grabara having another fine intervention on Doku’s shot in the 69th minute, while in the 77th minute Haaland – who was not in the day or at least the Copenhagen defense did not allow him – received the “stop” in the 77th minute.
The European Champions were looking for the third goal. And after warning again in stoppage time with three shots inside the area in the same phase, in the next (90’+2′) formed the final 1-3with De Bruyne and Foden to switch roles in relation to their combination at 0-1 and the second to coolly place by turning his team-mate’s pass into his second assist of the match.
Watch the match live here.
The compositions of the two teams:
Copenhagen (Jakob Nestrup): Grabara – Gellert, Vavro, Makena, Dix – Matson, Falk, Diogo Gonsalves (70′ Hoylund) – Atzuri (81′ Sorensen), Claesson (55′ Cornelius), Elionoussi.
Manchester City (Pep Guardiola): Anderson – Walker, Diaz, Stones, Ake – Rodry, De Bruyne, Grealish (21′ Docu) – Bernardo Silva (78′ Mateus Nunez), Haaland, Foden.
The referee of the match was the Spaniard Jose Maria Sanchezwhile VAR his compatriot Juan Martines Munuera.
Source: Sport Fm
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
