Manchester City took total control of their Champions League quarter-final tie with an emphatic 3-0 first-leg win over Bayern Munich at the Etihad Stadium.
 |
Rodri's curling shot from distance in the first half gave Pep Guardiola's side the lead against the German champions before Bernardo Silva headed in a second after the interval. Leroy Sane tested Ederson repeatedly in between but Bayern's defensive frailty was clear.
Erling Haaland, without so much as a draw in seven games against these opponents as a Borussia Dortmund player, exposed that fragility in volleying home the third goal as Bayern, and the struggling Dayot Upamecano in particular, began to wilt under City's pressure.
The fourth goal did not arrive but for all this team's travails in the latter stages of this competition, City will surely expect to progress to the final four after this result. A hugely impressive performance that underlines their status as the favourites for the trophy.
Player ratings
Man City: Ederson (8); Akanji (7), Dias (9), Ake (8); Stones (7), Rodri (8); Bernardo (8), De Bruyne (8), Gundogan (7), Grealish (8), Haaland (7)
Subs: Alvarez (7)
Bayern Munich: Sommer (7); Pavard (5), De Ligt (6), Upamecano (4), Davies (6); Goretzka (7), Kimmich (8); Sane (7), Musiala (4), Coman (6); Gnabry (5)
Subs: Mane (6), Cancelo (n/a), Mueller (n/a)
Player of the match: Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Team news
Pep Guardiola made just one change to the Manchester City team that beat Southampton with Bernardo Silva coming in for Riyad Mahrez.
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel named Sadio Mane and Joao Cancelo among his substitutes with Leroy Sane starting against his old club.
Sane came close, locked in a personal battle with Ederson that saw the Brazilian goalkeeper deny him three times from distance early in the second half, and that proved significant soon after when Upamecano's error allowed City to double the advantage.
It was superb by the in-form Grealish to dispossess the defender and then flick the ball through to Haaland. Just as good by the Norwegian to pick out the pass to Silva as the crowd urged him to shoot. Sommer got a hand to his powerful header but could not keep it out.
Upamecano's error for the third was less conspicuous but just as damaging - presenting Haaland with the freedom of the box to latch onto John Stones' header and cushion the shot beyond the goalkeeper. It was his 45th goal of the season.
Haaland and his team might not need another to see off Bayern in Munich, such was the job done by the reigning Premier League champions in front of their own fans. There is work to do, of course, but Manchester City's hopes of a treble are growing.
Pep: I am emotionally destroyed!
Asked for his thoughts on a 'comfortable' win, Guardiola replied: "It was not comfortable at all. I am emotionally destroyed! I have 10 more years today. It was such a demanding game.
"For 55 to 60 minutes, it was a tight game, for parts they were better than us.
"From the start of the second half, they were better. We could not control them. But we adjusted something and we were better. It is an incredible result. But we have to do something in Munich at a little bit better not to suffer too much. We will try to do it.
"I have been there many times. I know this team is special. To knock out these top teams you need two top games not one."
He added: "I know exactly what we have to do there. If we do not perform well, they can score one, two or three. I know that and the players know it.
"It is an incredible result but we have to do our game with a huge, huge personality because otherwise these are top clubs and teams.
"Here, we have our chances, in our stadium, we are something special this season. We have our momentum, we are clinical and have that weapon. But it is the same for Munich.
"I have been there, you have not been there. I have been there for three years. I know what it means for the people, we are going there to score goals and try to win the game. If not, it will be so difficult."
Masterful Man City
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 25 Champions League home games, the outright longest such run by an English side in the competition's history.
'Silva one of best I have trained'
Silva's performance drew special praise from Guardiola. The Portuguese scored the second goal, tormented the Bayern defence and also did an important defensive job in controlling the attacking forays of Bayern left-back Alphonso Davies.
"He is a player who you say is going to play in that position and you do not have to say anything else," said Guardiola.
"I have been lucky to coach some very good players for Barca and Bayern. He is one of the best players I ever trained in my life, ever. He is something special as a football player.
"Bernardo is a football player, he can play everywhere because he understands the game perfectly and every action with and without the ball.
"When Davies starts to go you cannot stop, Bernardo has the ability to read the positions, give us an extra pass. He is so important in these types of games, he can play holding midfielder. He is so, so important player and lately, he is scoring goals, which he lacked a little bit. Now, he is being decisive."
Tuchel: This does not feel like a 3-0
"This does not feel like a 3-0 but it is a 3-0 and it is a huge, huge task now to turn this around. We are realistic but we will not give up," said Tuchel afterwards.
"It will not be over until we are in the shower."
Tuchel pointed to the opening goal of the game from Rodri as evidence of his team's misfortune.
"If City gets this sort of goal it gets really, really difficult," said the Bayern boss.
Long-range specialist
Seven of Rodri’s 16 goals for Manchester City have come from outside the box.
"The reaction was great during the first half. In the second half, it was even better. In the period where the goal could give us a huge boost of confidence, the opposite happened."
He saw Upamecano's error as the turning point.
"The second goal shifted the momentum when it was our momentum. It was an individual mistake, a decision-making mistake and at the highest level in world football it is brutal. This is a mistake that should not happen at this level in this part of the field.
"Clearly, we were not rewarded for our efforts."
What's next?
The second leg takes place in Munich on Wednesday, April 19 at 8pm. But up next for Manchester City are Leicester City back in the Premier League this Saturday at the Etihad Stadium, kick-off 5.30pm.
- Readers Comments desired, Share Your Story in comment box below;
0 Comments