Manchester City had an ideal preparation for their crucial Premier League match against Liverpool on Sunday by comfortably defeating Copenhagen, securing their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals for the sixth consecutive season.
With a two-goal advantage from the first leg in Copenhagen three weeks ago, any lingering hopes of a surprise were dashed within nine minutes as Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez scored.
Erling Haaland joined Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe at the top of the tournament’s scoring charts with his sixth goal of the campaign – his 29th in all competitions – as City secured a third goal before half-time, following the visitors’ consolation.
Haaland’s scoring streak, noted by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the ‘Stick to Football’ podcast, marks the first time he has scored in three consecutive games since October.
This development provides positive news for City manager Pep Guardiola ahead of the clash at Anfield. Guardiola had previously stated that he would not focus on Liverpool until after the Copenhagen match.
However, his intentions were somewhat belied by making seven changes to the side that defeated Manchester United at the weekend and substituting key player Rodri at half-time.
Nevertheless, these alterations did not impede City, who now boast the longest current streak of successive appearances in the Champions League quarter-finals. The only English club to surpass this achievement is Manchester United, who reached the last eight in seven consecutive seasons from 1996-97 to 2002-03.
Instant replay
The last scenario one would desire after conceding a goal to the opposition is to witness the embarrassing moment replayed for all spectators in the stadium, exposing every detail of the mishap.
Regrettably for former Liverpool and Huddersfield goalkeeper Kamil Grabara, this became his reality.
The Poland international was already aware of his error in allowing Alvarez’s shot from the side of the penalty area to slip through his grasp, compounded by Rodri’s header being only partially cleared before rebounding off the crossbar.
Initially, the full extent of the blunder went unnoticed by the capacity crowd. However, the collective gasp that resonated throughout the stadium when the replay was displayed on the large screen in the corner undoubtedly added to Grabara’s discomfort.
Alvarez’s goal marked his 16th of another impressive season and likely caused apprehension for Copenhagen’s on-loan Scotland defender Scott McKenna, who experienced a heavy defeat in this stadium last season as part of the Nottingham Forest side.
Despite the setback, Copenhagen mounted a response, with former Southampton player Mohamed Elyounoussi reducing the deficit with a precise 12-yard finish into the corner after 29 minutes.
This goal served as a wake-up call for City, who had taken an early lead through Akanji’s first-time shot from Alvarez’s corner, where he managed to hold off Peter Ankersen.
In the first-half stoppage time, Haaland reinstated the home side’s advantage with a powerful drive into the net.