Manchester City have warmed up well for Anfield. Warm in the sense that most of the protagonists spent all or part of last night under blankets.
City earned the right by the way they performed in Copenhagen three weeks ago, a near-flawless away match in Europe, where they strangled high-octane opposition in a stadium that has swallowed others.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United earned the right to make seven changes and still reach the last eight of the Champions League for the seventh consecutive year. The only other English team to have done that before. These are ten victories, something previously only achieved by Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Some company.
And they have now scored three in all eight games this season, defending a crown they have labored for so long. One thing is certain: when the draw for the quarter-finals takes place a week from tomorrow, they will all be desperate to avoid Pep Guardiola’s City.
There are bigger tests on the horizon after galloping to Copenhagen. Although Sunday afternoon on Merseyside will not define the league campaign, giving Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden a full evening off at this stage is a great luxury. Guardiola admitted that fatigue contributed to this. Foden and Silva told him how tired they were after the weekend.
Erling Haaland equaled Sergio Aguero’s Champions League goal tally in Man City’s 3-1 win over Copenhagen
Manuel Akanji had opened the scoring early in the match with a brilliant close-range finish
Julian Alvarez was lucky to score his second after Copenhagen stopper Kamil Grabara made a shocking mistake
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“Today I needed energy,” Guardiola said. “Some of my players are exhausted. If you play on Wednesday, you can play in all other countries in the world on Saturday. Have I spoken to the Premier League about that? Not really. You know the answer: the broadcasters pay a lot of money, so shut up.’
Fortunately for him, he is hungry in the ranks, with Oscar Bobb impressive and Rico Lewis his usual steady self, while Julian Alvarez and Mateo Kovacic played smartly. Other academy products, Micah Hamilton and Jacob Wright, joined for their third and second senior appearances.
Oh, and Erling Haaland scored. Evidently.
Whether Copenhagen’s 2,300 traveling supporters actually entertained the idea of disrupting the European hierarchy while downing cheap Taddy lager at the Oyster Bar on Exchange Square is somewhat debatable. Maybe some have.
The general sentiment among the Danish champions, who are only third in the Superliga this season, is that this felt like an exercise in futility, but one they will embrace nonetheless.
It all happened within nine minutes. The hope, a vague hope. They were still singing behind that goal, because why wouldn’t you, and some from Scandinavia looking for posh seats behind the benches celebrated every tackle or clearance in a slightly loud, embarrassed way.
Hope snaked through Kamil Grabara’s gloves. Julian Alvarez’s goal, but actually it belonged to the former Liverpool goalkeeper. Alvarez’s first corner had been headed against the crossbar by Rodri, unmarked at the back post, headed back to the Argentine and he decided to hit an area around the near post.
Grabara, who was wearing a mask, should have eaten it. Instead, his fingers buckled as he tried to capture that painful slow-motion moment when the ball dribbles over the line and the goalkeeper spins helplessly. Grabara looked sad, not Zorro.
Grabara let the ball fly through his grasp at the near post for Alvarez’s second goal
Mohamed Elyounoussi scored for the visitors after 29 minutes to give them a glimmer of hope
City were already two ahead, 5-1 on aggregate. The first was ridiculously simple: a swinging corner from Alvarez aimed at Manuel Akanji.
Peter Ankersen’s marking was not nearly tight enough from eight yards out, and Akanji calmly turned a volley into the corner in the fifth minute. A controlled finish that left City’s number 9 nodding in approval.
The Etihad fell asleep. At one point City held the ball for five minutes without the visitors touching it. And the problem is that when things feel so easy, the intensity will decrease – even in the meantime.
So when they gave up possession high up the pitch and Jacob Neestrup’s side made a quick move on halfway, with Mohamed Elyounoussi breaking dangerously into Ederson’s area, Copenhagen were in. The ex-Southampton winger, playing through the middle, exchanged passes with Orri Oskarsson and slipped. in Ederson’s corner. Game on? Probably not.
Jacob Neestrup’s side made a quick move midway through the build-up to their goal, but were unable to score a second.
Pep Guardiola and Co have prepared perfectly for their trip to Anfield next weekend
The holders go into the hat for the next round as perhaps their rivals’ team to beat
A dislocated finger from Matheus Nunes was the only significant injury for the champions
Certainly not in first-half stoppage time, Haaland dumped Nottingham Forest loanee Scott McKenna on his backside and drove into the near corner. A milestone for Haaland, who equaled Sergio Agüero’s European record of 41 goals in this competition.
Arguably the greatest natural goalscorer in Premier League history, Aguero needed 79 games to reach that total. Haaland has done it in 37. Another mind-boggling statistic to go along with the rest.
Notorious for his caution when it comes to these nights, often paying the ultimate respect on occasions that shouldn’t cause City any tangible problems, even Guardiola realized the tie was over.
Rodri – who had assisted Haaland during the Manchester derby – was hooked, Sergio Gomez got a run-out in his place. If there was ever proof that City were relaxed, this was it.