Manchester City continued its pursuit of back-to-back Champions League titles by advancing to the quarterfinals of European membership soccer’s elite competitors with a 3-1 win over Copenhagen on Wednesday. Goals from Manuel Akanji, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland at Etihad Stadium noticed City full a 6-2 mixture win.
Manchester City’s gamers have a good time on the pitch after the UEFA Champions League spherical of 16, second-leg.(AFP)
It is the seventh straight season Pep Guardiola’s group has superior to the quarterfinals and this newest victory prolonged an unbeaten dwelling run within the Champions League that stretches again 30 video games to 2018.
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“(When) I arrived we didn’t believe we could do it. It’s a question of time, a process,” Guardiola said. “They (the hierarchy) gave me time, gave us time. We are a team that believes we can do it. Listen, we’re competing with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. We don’t know who we are going to face. It’s a question of wait and see. The important thing is seven years in a row we are here.”
Potential clashes with a number of the giants of European soccer lie in wait with Madrid, Bayern and Paris Saint-Germain additionally into the subsequent stage. But few groups would relish the prospect of assembly the defending champions, who stay in competition to change into solely the second group after Madrid to retain the trophy in its fashionable guise.
Even Guardiola’s Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona group couldn’t obtain that feat. Should City elevate the trophy once more, Guardiola would equal Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti’s report haul of 4 Champions League titles.
There continues to be a protracted solution to go this season, however City’s type is ominous after extending its unbeaten run in all competitions to twenty video games. “Now we are a process where we can lose, definitely, but we can compete everywhere because we come from the final (2021), semifinal (2022), final (2023) and now the quarterfinals again,” Guardiola stated. “Of course we respect incredibly the opponents, but we have the feeling the opponents see Man City and say ‘OK it will be a big battle too.’”
City’s seven straight quarterfinals equals feats by Bayern and Manchester United. Barcelona superior to the final eight a report 13 instances in succession between 2008 and 2020, whereas Madrid’s greatest run was eight between 2011 and 2018.
A repeat of final season’s treble can be nonetheless on for City, with the defending champions some extent behind first-placed Liverpool within the Premier League and into the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.
City faces Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday and it was maybe with that in thoughts that Guardiola left star gamers Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Kyle Walker out of his beginning lineup in opposition to Copenhagen.
His confidence was well-placed after a 3-1 first leg win in Denmark. The tie successfully was put past doubt inside 5 minutes when Akanji was free to volley previous goalkeeper Kamil Grabara from Alvarez’s nook.
The lead was doubled 4 minutes later when Grabara fumbled Alvarez’s lengthy shot and the ball slipped via his grasp. Rodri had hit the bar with a header moments earlier than. Copenhagen, although, scored the very best objective of the sport within the twenty ninth. Mohamed Elyounoussi swept the ball previous Ederson after working to the sting of the field and exchanging passes with Orri Oskarsson, who back-heeled into his path.
City’s benefit was restored within the third minute of first-half stoppage time as Haaland held off the problem of Elias Jelert within the field and fired low into the online. It was all too straightforward and he celebrated his twenty ninth objective in all competitions this season and sixth within the Champions League with a flying kick.
Haaland moved stage with Bayern’s Harry Kane and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe because the joint main scorer on this season’s competitors. City might have added a fourth in stoppage time on the finish of the match, however Rico Lewis’ deflected effort got here again off the bar.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
