Man City 3-1 Copenhagen (agg 6-2): Erling Haaland on target as City progress to Champions League quarter-final
Manchester City eased their way into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 victory over Copenhagen to secure a 6-2 aggregate win.
Goals from Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez inside the first nine minutes of the match ended any threat of a shock and though Mohamed Elyounoussi pulled one back for the Danish side, Erling Haaland scored his inevitable goal before the half was out.
Pep Guardiola left Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden on the bench, withdrawing Rodri at half-time - an indication that the holders fancied that the job had been all but done in Denmark. They go into the Premier League title clash with Liverpool on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, in good shape.
Having retained only four of the starting line-up that saw off Manchester United at the weekend, there was an opportunity for some of the fringe players to impress and Oscar Bobb was particularly lively from the outset. It did not take City long to ease ahead.
Alvarez's outswinger from a corner on the right found Akanji marked at the near post but not tightly enough. The centre-back was able to swing his right foot at the ball and score with a side-footed volley. There was not much tension to ease but that did it.
Alvarez had a goal of his own inside nine minutes but this owed much to Kamil Grabara's error in the Copenhagen goal. Rodri had struck the frame of the goal with the initial chance and when Alvarez shot on the angle, the goalkeeper fumbled it into his own net.
Elyounoussi, the former Southampton forward, did give the away support a lift, however, with perhaps the goal of the night. Running from deep, he threaded the ball in behind and Orri Oskarsson's clever backheel allowed him to collect the return pass and score.
Enter Haaland. The striker was
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